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ANY  people  think  that  the  Battle  of  Bynker 
Hill    consisted    of    pn    jiasault    by    British 
troops   upon   an   earthwork   on    top   of  the 
hill   in   Ch^rlestown   wbcre   tha   monument 
now  stands.     That  is  not  trae;   or,  rather, 
it  is  only  partly  true.     There  v/as  an  earth- 
work on  the  green  plot,  now  a  park,  on  the 
crest      of      Breed's     Hill — the      monument 
grounds  —  and    there    were     attacks    made 
upon  It  by  the  British.     But  much  of  tha  fighting  was  done 
to  the  northward  of  the  monument,  on  ground  now>covercd  by 
city  streets,  dwelling  houses,  schools  and  wharves.  ' 

The  question  of  the  location  of  the  actual  battle  ground 
was  a  much-debated  one  75  or  100  years  ago.  Even  then 
the  landmarks  in  Charlestown  had  clianged  sufficiently  tO 
perplex  those  who  had  taken  part  in  the  historic  fight. 

Fortunately,  there  was  in  existence  an  accurate  plan  o£ 
the  battle,  the  work  of  a  British  engineer  officer,  Lieut  Page, 
who  served  on  the  staff  of  Gen  Gage  during  the  engagement. 
Making  use  of  a  ground  plan  made  from  actual  surveys  by 
another  British  engineer,  Capt  Montresor,  he  Isid  down  upoi} 
it  tLe  outlines  of  the  earthwork  on  the  crest  of  the  hill  and 
Other  positions  held  by  tba  American  troops. 

Whether  any  use  was  made  of  this  map  when  the  first 
markers  were  placed  on  the  battle  ground  is  not  known.  |t 
is  probable,  Jiowever,  that  tradition  elon«  was  followed. 

In  1875,  when  tLe  ICOth  anniversary  of  the  battle  waq 
being  observed,  the  question  &s  t<j  the  accuracy  of  the  mark- 
ers was  raised.  In  order  to  settle  the  matter  the  Bunker  Hill 
Monument  Association  appointed  a  special  committee  to  look 
into  the  entire  question. 

Recourse  was  had  to  the  municipal  authorities  of  Charlea- 
town,  then  a  separate  city.  The  Mayor  authorized  the  City 
Surveyor,  Thomas  W.  Davis,  to  make  new  surveys.  I 

Davis  first  compared  the  Montresor  map  of  1775  with 
one  made  by  Felton  -Sc  Parker  in  1848  by  orders  of  the 
Chcrlestown  City  Council.  This  comparison  immediately 
pjroved  the  accuracy  of  the  Montresor  map. 

Mr  Davis  then  transferred  tte  positions  of  the  Am^ican 
works  as  set  down  by  Lieut  Page  on  the  raap  of  Montresor 
to  a  recent  map.  He  was  thus  able  with  approximate  ac- 
curacy to  find  the  corresponding  locations  in  the  Charlestown 
of  100  years  after  the  battle.     All  of  the  original  battlefield 


markers  were  found  to  be  out  of  place.  New  ones  were  SQt 
up  in  1876. 

As  you  emerge  from  the  sm^U  building  erected  at  the 
base  of  the  monument  a  marker  a  few  feet  away  toward  the 
left  fixes  the  northeast  rear  corner  of  the  redoubt  thrown  up 
on  the  hill  during  the  night  of  June  16  by  the  Revolutionary 
Army.  -The  redoubt  faced  Boston,  and  was  open  to  attack  at 
the  rear  from  the  Mystic  River, 

*  I  ""HE  colonists  at  once  began  work  on  an  earth  wall,  ex- 
"■■  tending  it  generally  northward  from  the  northeast  cor- 
ner of  the  redoubt.  As  you  stand  beside  the  corner  marker 
and  look  down  the  hill,  into  and  diagonally  across  Monument 
«t,  you  are  looking  along  the  line  of  this  earthwork.  It  ter- 
minated 200  feet  away,  on  the  left  side  of  Monument  st, 
about  where  a  narrow  way,  dignified  by  the  name  of  Concord 
aT,  crosses.     This  is  shown  in  the  accompanying  illustrations. 

It  was  the  intention  of  the  Revolutionary  soldiers  to  con- 
tinue this  earth  wall  down  to  the  Mystic  River,  but  the  bat- 
tle began  before  they  could  carry  it  further.  Together  with 
the  earth  redoubt,  it  constituted  the  defensive  works  on 
Breed's  Hill. 

One  must  walk  several  blocks  northward  to  reach  the 
Bcene    of   the   other   and   equally   important   fig-hting   of   that 

historic  day.  When  the  British  troops  landed  at  MouUoa's 
Point,  close  to  the  present  Chelsea  Bridge,  it  was  clear  .that 
an  attempt  would  \>e  made  to  march  up  the  Mystic  shore  and 
thus  reach  the  rear  of  the  redoubt  on  the  hill,  rendering  it 
untenable. 

To  prevent  this  about  700  New  Hampshire  troops,  under 
Cols  Stark  and  Reed,  and  120  Connecticut  men  took  posi- 
tion behind  a  stone  wall  surmounted  by  a  two-rail  fence  that 
yaa  down  -hill  to  the  water,  nearly  a  quarter  mile  in  the  rear 
of  the  earth  wall  on  the  hill.  Davis'  surveys  showed  this  wall 
to  have  started  near  the  north  corner  of  Green  and  Bunker 
Hill  sts  of  today,  and  to  have  run  thence  down  to  the  beach. 
Before  the  fighting  began  some  of  Stark's  men  continued  it 
clear  across  the  beach  to  the  water's  edg3;  and  there  it  was 
that  the  first  attack,  that  of  the  British  Light  Infantry  column, 
was  made  and  repelled  by  the  gallant  men  of  Amoskeag. 


Almost  simultaneously  the  Grenadiers,  under  Cen  Howe 
himself,  threw  themselves  against  the  wall  and  rail  f>3nco 
«  little  higher  on  the  hillside,  only  to  receive  ths  same  warm 
welcome.  A  simultaneous  attack  was  made  on  the  redoubt 
tind  earth  wall  on  the  crest. 

The  position  of  the  rail  fence  may  be  roughly  followed 
today.  In  the  old  burying  ground  on  Bunker  Hill  st,  oppo« 
cite  Green  st,  close  to  the  iron  fence,  a  prominent  stoOAJ 
marker  tells  that  the  rail  fence  extended  thence  down  to  the 
water.  This  is  approximately  corrsct,  though  the  surveys 
show  the  fence  to  ;h?.ve  begun  higher  up  on  the  slope,  on  the 
other  side  of  Bunker  Kill  st,  and  to  have  followed  a  line  moro 
nearly  opposite  Green  .st.  The  original  marker  was  on  the 
corner  of  Green  st,  where  there  is  now  a  market.  It  was 
placed  across  the  street,  in  the  cemetery,  some  10  or  15  years 
ago,  in  order  that  it  might  be  better  preserved. 


BUNKER    HILL   BATTLE 


MONUMENT. 


.Sf.'ctiori  of  tVic 


SKETCHES 


BUNKER   HILL   BATTLE 


MONUMENT: 


WITH  ILLUSTRATIVE  DOCUMENTS. 


THIRD       EDITION. 


C  H  A  R  L  E  S  T  O  W  N  : 

C.  p.  EMMONS,  47  AND  49  MAIN  STREET. 
1843. 


Entered,  according  to  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1843, 
BY   CHARLES   P.   EMMONS, 

la  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  Massachusetts. 


STEREOTYPED    BY 

GEORGE    A.  CURTIS, 

N.    ENGLAND   TYPE   AND   STEREOTYPE  FOUNDRY,   BOSTON. 


PRINTED    BY    DUTTON   AND    WENTWORTH. 


CONTENTS 


Preliminary    Remarks    on    the    Opening  Page. 

Scenes  of  the  American  Revolution,  7 — 27 

The  Battle, 28—87 

Documents  Illustrative  of  the  Battle 

OF  Bunker's  Hill,        ....  88 — 154 

Part  I.  English  Documents,    .         .  88 — 128 
Extracts  from  tlie  Orderly  Book  of 

General  Howe,         .         .         .  88—92 
Letter  from  General  Gage  to  Lord 

Dartmouth,     ....  92—98 

Observations  on  the  above,             .  98 — 106 

General  Burgoyne  to  Lord  Stanley,  106 — 110 

Observations  on  the  above,             .  110 — 114 

Letter  from  a  British  Surgeon,      .  114 

Letter  from  a  British  Officer,        .  115 — 116 

Letter  from  a  British  Officer,         .  117 — 119 

Letter  from  a  Merchant  in  Boston,  119 — 123 
Letter  of  H.  Hulton,  Commissioner,  123 — 128 

Part  H.  American  Documents,        .  129 — 154 

Committee  of  Safety,            .         .  129 — 131 

Account  sent  to  England,     .         .  131 — 139 

Account  to  Congress,            .         .  140 — 142 

Account  of  the  Engagement,         .  142 — 145 

Letter  from  Colonel  Stark,            .  145 — 147 

Letter  from  Mr.  Isaac  Lothrop,    .  148 — 150 

Letter  from  Rev.  Dr.  Eliot,          .  151 — 164 

The  Monument,      .....  155 — 172 


2051228 


PRELIMINARY   REMARKS 


OPENING    SCENES 


AMERICAN  REVOLUTION 


The  important  relation  which  the  Battle  of 
Bunker  Hill  bears  to  the  whole  war  of  the  Amer- 
ican Revolution,  requires  a  brief  statement  of  the 
causes  that  led  to  that  memorable  conflict.  Pro- 
posals, in  successive  British  Parliaments,  for  the 
taxation  of  the  American  colonists,  without  allow- 
ing them  a  representation  in  those  Parliaments,  first 
opened  the  issue  of  strife.  That  there  were  those, 
especially  in  the  New  England  colonies,  who  had 
for  some  time  previous  cherished  a  lurking  spirit 
of  opposition  to  any  acts  of  sovereignty  which 
Great  Britain  might  here  attempt  to  exercise,  may 
not  be  denied.  The  mother  country  was  bur- 
dened with  a  debt,  which,  though  trifling  compared 
with  that  which  now  weigiis  upon  her,  was  then 
felt  to  be  grievous ;  and  it  was  not  strange,  that, 
amid  the  various  projects  for  meeting  its  annual 
obligations,  the  hope  of  a  revenue  from  America 


8  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

should  suggest  itself.  The  taxing  of  America 
was  first  moved  in  the  British  Parliament  by  Mr. 
Grenville,  in  March,  1764.  The  result  of  his 
motion  was  the  Stamp  Act,  imposing  a  tax  upon 
all  notes,  bonds,  papers,  &c.,  which  passed  the 
House  of  Commons  by  a  vote  of  250  to  50,  and 
the  House  of  Lords,  without  debate  or  dissent, 
and  received  the  approval  of  George  III.,  March 
22,  1765. 

The  object  of  this  delay  of  a  whole  year  be- 
tween the  motion  and  its  passage,  was  to  give  the 
colonists  an  opportunity  to  suggest  some  other 
mode  of  raising  the  tax,  which  should  be  prefera- 
ble to  them.  A  tax  of  some  kind  they  must  sub- 
mit to,  and  if  they  did  not  like  to  have  the  impo- 
sition attached  to  their  legal  instruments,  bills, 
receipts  and  private  contracts,  they  might  propose 
some  other  method.  This  show  of  indulgence 
was  represented  to  the  colony  agents  in  London, 
as  establishing  a  precedent  by  which  their  con- 
stituents might  demand,  henceforward,  the  right 
of  being  consulted  before  any  tax  was  imposed 
upon  them.  But  this  gilded  bait  did  not  tempt. 
The  reception  of  the  news  of  the  passage  of  this 
act  was  followed  by  remonstrances  and  petitions 
from  a  Continental  Congress  assembled  at  New 
York,  and  by  various  demonstrations  of  popular 
excitement.  Handbills  printed  with  funereal  dec- 
orations around  them,  the  tolling  of  muffled  bells, 
and  the  construction  and  ridicule  of  the  effisries  of 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  9 

obnoxious  officers,  testified  to  the  deep  indignation 
of  the  people.  The  stamp  agents  were  compelled 
to  resign,  and  the  act  was  wholly  disregarded. 
The  act  was  repealed  the  next  year  by  a  new 
administration ;  Pitt  having  triumphed  in  the 
House  of  Commons  by  denying  the  right  of  the 
Parliament  to  impose  a  tax  on  the  colonies.  The 
repeal  was,  however,  accompanied  by  a  declara- 
tory act,  maintaining  the  power  and  right  of  the 
kingdom  to  bind  the  colonies  in  all  cases  what- 
soever. This  declaration,  being  only  a  threat, 
was,  for  the  time  being,  harmless,  and  was  winked 
at  on  this  side  of  the  water,  as  a  salvo  to  British 
pride. 

In  1767,  under  the  Townshend  administration, 
several  measures,  most  obnoxious  to  the  colonists, 
were  devised  in  succession, — such  as  import  du- 
ties on  paper,  glass,  paints  and  teas,  a  list  of  civil 
officers  to  be  named  by  the  crown,  with  salaries 
fixed  at  the  pleasure  of  the  monarch,  a  requisition 
for  providing  articles  of  food  and  clothing  for  the 
soldiers,  at  the  expense  of  the  colonies,  together 
with  the  establishment  of  a  custom-house  and  a 
board  of  commissioners,  on  tyrannical  principles. 
These  measures  were  all  followed  by  intense  ex- 
citements of  the  people,  and  led  to  protective  com- 
binations. In  1770,  Lord  North  brought  about  a 
repeal  of  the  new  duties,  with  the  exception  of 
that  upon  tea,  which  was  retained,  as  it  was 
alleged,  for  the  purpose  of  upholding  the  disputed 


10  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

right  of  taxation.  "  The  Boston  Massacre  "  of 
the  5th  March,  as  it  was  most  improperly  called, 
in  which  three  of  the  inhabitants  were  killed  and 
five  others  wounded,  in  an  aflmy  with  the  soldiers, 
well  nigh  maddened  the  populace.  In  this  matter 
the  blame  was  unquestionably  on  our  side.  How 
far  it  is  palliated  by  the  honest  indignation  of  the 
people  of  Boston  at  the  presence  of  the  military  in 
their  streets,  is  a  question  open  for  individual 
judgment.  From  that  time  there  was  a  continued 
succession  of  insurrections  and  hostilities. 

At  every  stage  in  the  ofTensive  proceedings 
against  the  colonies,  there  were  those  among  the 
legislators  and  the  people  of  Great  Britain  who 
opposed  the  measures  of  the  government,  and  pre- 
dicted the  disastrous  results  which  at  last  mingled 
in  the  issue.  Our  former  governor,  Povvnall,  whose 
judgment  and  experience  should  have  given  au- 
thority to  his  words,  uttered  in  the  House  of  Com- 
mons a  prophecy  which  the  war  fulfilled. 

An  act  of  parliament,  in  1764,  in  anticipation 
of  extreme  measures,  had  empowered  the  king  to 
station  a  military  force  in  any  province,  and  to 
quarter  it  upon  the  people.  This  act  was  not  im- 
mediately enforced,  but  in  1767,  some  troops  of 
the  royal  artillery  arrived  in  Boston,  and  Gov- 
ernor Bernard  made  provision  for  their  support  at 
the  castle,  at  the  expense  of  the  province,  without 
authority  thus  to  vote  away  money.  He  dissolved 
the  General  Court,  and  refused  to  call  it  together 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  11 

again.  The  people  of  Boston  and  of  the  neigh- 
boring towns  formed  and  re-established  their  com- 
binations against  the  importation  and  consumption 
of  British  goods,  of  tea,  of  foreign  fruit,  and  arti- 
cles of  mourning  apparel,  recommending  likewise 
great  prudence  and  economy. 

As  the  people  were  deprived  of  their  General 
Court,  a  convention  of  delegates  from  more  than  a 
hundred  towns  assembled  in  Boston,  in  September, 
1768,  and  sat  several  days.  They  requested  the 
governor  to  call  together  the  General  Court,  but 
he  refused.  Their  measures  were  judicious  and 
calm,  but  resolute ;  they  advised  the  observance 
of  a  day  of  fasting  and  prayer,  and  that  the  peo- 
ple should  provide  themselves  with  fire-arms.  At 
the  close  of  the  convention  two  more  regiments 
arrived.  They  were  quartered  in  Boston,  in  de- 
fiance of  the  earnest  objections  of  the  people  and 
the  council.  They  marched  through  the  town  in 
battle-array,  and  occupied  the  common,  the  state- 
house,  the  court-house,  and  Faneuil  Hall.  The 
people  looked  on  in  amazement,  but  they  did  not 
fear. 

Governor  Bernard  was  re-called  to  England 
August  1,  1769,  and  was  succeeded  by  Lieutenant 
Governor  Hutchinson,  who  followed  up  the  mea- 
sures of  his  predecessor,  delaying  at  his  pleasure 
the  convoking  of  the  General  Court,  and  then  ar- 
bitrarily summoning  it  to  assemble  at  Cambridge. 
There  were  now  about  two  thousand  British  troops 


12  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

in  Boston.  As  they  had  been  kept  for  a  time  in 
close  quarters,  the  people  had  not  received  from 
them  any  provocations  beyond  that  of  their  un- 
welcome presence.  But  in  the  winter  of  1770 
they  had  been  allowed  to  walk  about  the  streets 
in  little  squads,  and  their  language  and  conduct 
were  often  insulting.  It  might  have  been  foreseen 
that  outrages  like  that  upon  the  5th  of  March 
would  ensue.  The  resolute  remonstrances  of  the 
people  procured  the  removal  of  the  troops  from 
Boston  to  the  castle.  Discontent  and  bold  resis- 
tance gradually  ripened  the  elements  of  civil  strife, 
and  it  was  evident  that  a  great  crisis  approached. 
The  destruction  of  three  cargoes  of  tea,  belonging 
to  the  East  India  Company,  in  Boston  harbor,  in 
1773,  was  a  plain  evidence  of  the  determination 
of  the  people  to  resist  the  duty  which  Lord 
North's  bill  had  left  to  be  exacted  on  that  import. 
At  the  session  of  the  General  Court,  in  May,  1773, 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  open  a  correspon- 
dence with  the  committees  of  other  colonies  on 
political  subjects,  and  it  was  this  step  which  led 
to  the  convention  of  a  Continental  Congress  at 
Philadelphia.  The  people  had  petitioned  the 
King  for  the  immediate  removal  of  Governor 
Hutchinson,  who  in  letters  to  England  had  made 
unfair  and  prejudicial  representations  of  the  state 
of  things  in  this  colony.  He  sailed  for  England 
in  June,  1774.  His  house  had  been  destroyed 
by  a  mob,  and  his  property  and  papers  scattered 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  13 

to  the  winds.  He  was  succeeded  by  General 
Gage,  the  Commander  in  chief  of  the  British 
forces  in  America. 

If  England  had  not  then  a  Stuart  for  a  monarch, 
she  had  a  Stuart  ministry.  Infatuation  seems  to 
be  the  only  appropriate  word  by  which  to  desig- 
nate their  galling  accumulation  of  abuses  and 
restrictions  upon  the  colonists,  who  had  already 
given  sufficient  evidence  of  their  indomitable  reso- 
lution to  resist.  Next  came  the  appointment  of  the 
Governor's  Counsellors  by  the  King,  instead  of  by 
the  Court,  as  heretofore,  and  finally  the  climax  of 
ministerial  delusion,  in  which,  upon  June  1,  1774, 
a  parliamentary  bill  declared  that  Boston  Port 
should  be  closed  against  all  commerce  and  navi- 
gation, and  be  in  a  state  of  blockade.  The  pas- 
sage of  this  bill  was  procured  under  the  expecta- 
tion that  the  other  ports  of  this  and  the  other  col- 
onies would  delight  in  the  humiliation  of  Boston, 
and  selfishly  seize  the  opportunity  thus  put  into 
their  power  of  drawing  commerce  to  themselves. 
Here  again  did  the  ministry  delude  itself  by 
anoiher  gross  miscalculation.  The  effect  of  the 
hill  was  Av'hoUy  opposite  to  their  expectations. 
Numberless  copies  of  it  were  quickly  multiplied 
and  circulated  over  the  continent,  having,  as  Burke 
said,  fhe  inflammatory  effect  which  the  poets  ascribe 
to  the  fury's  torch.  Copies  of  the  bill,  printed  on 
mourning  paper,  with  a  black  border,  were  hawked 
in  the  streets  of  New  York  and  Boston,  under  the 
2 


14  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

title  of  "  a  barbarous,  cruel,  bloody  and  inhuman 
murder."  In  other  places,  the  populace  being 
called  together  by  placards,  burnt  the  bill  with 
great  solemnity.  The  General  Court  of  Massa- 
chusetts recommended  to  the  other  colonies  to 
suspend  all  commercial  intercourse  with  Great 
Britain,  and  formed  a  solemn  league  and  covenant 
against  the  use  of  English  goods,  though  General 
Gage  threatened  all  the  subscribers  of  it  with 
transportation  to  England  for  treason. 

Within  four  months  after  the  receipt  of  the 
Boston  Port  bill,  the  deputies  of  twelve  provinces, 
representing  three  millions  of  people,  were  con- 
vened at  Philadelphia.  Loyal  and  constitutional 
sentiments  there  found  an  honorable  reception, 
and  conciliatory  measures  on  the  part  of  Britain 
would  even  then  have  been  of  avail.  Yet  it  was 
easy  to  see  that  allegiance  to  the  throne  was  a 
word  which  was  fast  becoming  of  an  empty  sound 
throughout  the  continent.  The  sufferings  to 
which  the  people  of  Boston  were  subjected  were 
relieved  by  generous  contributions  throughout  the 
country.  General  Gage  removed  the  Court  from 
Boston  to  Salem,  where  it  met  by  adjournment 
on  June  7th  ;  but  on  the  17th  he  sent  his  messen- 
ger to  announce  its  dissolution.  The  messenger 
was  shut  out  of  doors,  while  the  Court,  before 
obeying  the  summons,  chose  their  first  delegates 
to  the  General  Congress,  Gushing,  Samuel  and 
John  Adams,  Paine  and  Bowdoin.     About  this 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  15 

time  independent  military  companies  were  formed 
in  Boston.  General  Gage  began  to  assume  de- 
spotic power,  as  the  successive  encroachments  upon 
the  chartered  liberties  of  the  people  brought  on  the 
tinavoidable  issue.  He  ordered  military  stores 
from  NeAv  York ;  he  collected  powder  from  the 
neighboring  towns ;  sent  out  agents  to  survey  the 
country,  and  erected  strong  fortifications  on  Boston 
neck.  This  last  measure,  which  amounted  to  a 
shutting  out  of  all  intercourse  between  the  people 
in  Boston  and  the  environs,  by  land  as  Avell  as  by 
sea,  was  regarded  as  an  outrage  which  ought  not 
to  be  endured.  But  he  alleged  that  the  object  of 
the  fortifications  Avas  to  prevent  the  frequent  de- 
sertions of  his  soldiers. 

Delegates  from  the  different  towns  met  at  Salem 
in  October,  and  there  constituted  the  Provincial 
Congress  of  Massachusetts.  A  committee  of  this 
body  was  directed  to  ascertain  the  character  and 
amount  of  the  military  stores  in  the  province,  and 
to  encourage  military  discipline.  The  taxes  were 
turned  from  the  authorised  provincial  treasurer  to 
a  new  officer  then  appointed ;  a  Committee  of 
Safety,  with  executive  authority,  was  chosen  to 
act  after  the  adjournment,  and  three  general  offi- 
cers, Colonels  Ward,  Thomas  and  Pomeroy,  were 
invested  with  the  command  of  the  provincial  mili- 
tary. Before  that  Congress  met  again,  another 
warning  voice  was  lifted  in  solemn  tones  to  coun- 
sel the  mother  country.     On  the  20th  of  January, 


16  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

1775,  Lord  Chatham,  after  long  retirement  and 
severe  bodily  suffering,  rose  in  the  House  of  Lords. 
He  foretold  the  event  of  these  ruinous  measures ; 
he  implored  the  nation  to  pause  and  consider,  and 
then  proposed  that  a  humble  request  be  made  to 
the  King  to  require  General  Gage  to  evacuate 
Boston.  But  the  voice  of  warning  was  not  heeded. 
The  Provincial  Congress  met  again  by  adjourn- 
ment in  February,  1775,  organized  their  commit- 
tees, arranged  their  correspondence,  and  provided 
military  preparations  and  stores,  designating  Wor- 
cester and  Concord  as  places  of  deposit.  General 
Gage  Avas  well  informed  of  all  these  proceedings, 
and  hearing  of  some  stores  at  Salem  or  Danvers, 
he  sent  one  hundred  and  fifty  men  to  seize  them. 
But  the  attempt  was  rendered  fruitless  by  resist- 
ance on  the  way. 

There  was  a  third  session  of  the  Congress  in 
March,  when  vigorous  measures  were  adopted. 
Large  companies  were  organized,  composed  of 
men  who  held  themselves  ready  for  service  at  a 
minute's  warning.  More  British  troops  arrived, 
and  General  Gage  was  equally  determined  to  pur- 
sue his  blind  and  misguided  measures.  Nor  were 
legislative  enactments  the  only  grievances  of  which 
the  people  complained ;  insults  and  indignities  of 
various  kinds  were  offered  them  by  officers  and 
soldiers,  which  annoyed  and  vexed  the  citizens. 
The  16th  of  March  had  been  consecrated  as  a  day 
of  fasting  and  prayer  by  the  Provincial  Congress. 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 


17 


While  the  society  were  assembling  in  the  church 
at  West  Boston,  the  regulars  pitched  two  marquee 
tents  within  ten  yards  of  the  house,  and  continued 
with  fifes  and  drums  to  disturb  the  service.  At 
the  commemoration  of  the  5th  of  March  massacre, 
in  the  Old  South  Church,  the  patriot  Samuel 
Adams  courteously  placed  about  forty  British 
officers,  who  came  to  hear  Warren's  Oration,  in 
the  best  seats,  and  they  listened  in  quietness.  At 
its  close,  Adams  moved  that  an  orator  be  chosen 
for  the  ensuing  5th  March,  to  commemorate  "  the 
bloody  and  horrid  massacre,  perpetrated  by  a  party 
of  soldiers  under  the  command  of  Captain  T. 
Preston."  His  motion  was  received  with  hisses 
and  cries  from  the  officers,  when  great  confusion 
ensued. 

On  the  8th  of  the  month,  a  countryman  (Thomas 
Ditson)  from  Billerica,  while  buying  a  musket  in 
Boston,  was  seized  by  the  regulars  and  covered 
with  tar  and  feathers.  He  was  carried  through 
the  streets  on  a  truck,  guarded  by  twenty  soldiers 
with  fixed  bayonets,  a  label  being  attached  to  his 
back,  inscribed  "  American  Liberty,  or  a  Specimen 
of  Democracy,"  while  a  promiscuous  crowd  of 
officers,  negroes  and  sailors  followed,  and  the 
drums  and  fifes  played  "  Yankee  Doodle,"  a  tune 
used  by  the  British  in  ridicule  of  the  provincials. 
The  selectmen  of  Billerica  sent  a  remonstrance  to 
General  Gage,  and  told  him  if  it  did  not  answer 
the  purpose,  they  should  "  hereafter  use  a  different 
2* 


18  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

Style  from  that  of  petition  and  complaint,"  Colo- 
nel Hancock's  house  was  twice  assaulted  during 
the  month,  when  the  fence  and  the  windows  were 
destroyed  by  the  soldiers.  On  the  night  of  the 
18th  the  Providence  coach  was  attacked,  as  it 
entered  the  town,  and  its  passengers  were  abused, 
but  the  driver,  leaping  from  his  seat,  inflicted  a 
severe  castigation  upon  the  British  Captain  Gore. 
These  are  but  specimens  of  the  many  riots,  out- 
rages and  indignities,  which  maddened  the  people 
of  the  town  and  of  the  province. 

Such  were  the  ministerial  enactments,  the  pub- 
lic grievances  and  the  military  outrages,  which 
were  preparing  the  way  for  a  civil  war.  It  was 
evident  that  only  an  occasion  was  necessary  to 
confront  the  foreign  invaders,  and  the  citizens  of 
the  soil,  in  two  opposing  armies.  That  occasion 
presented  itself  on  the  19th  of  April,  when  Gen- 
eral Gage,  without  provocation,  warrant  or  justifi- 
cation, sent  a  body  of  troops  to  Concord  to  seize 
upon  the  military  stores  there  deposited.  Those 
troops  on  their  way,  going  beyond  their  orders, 
wrong  as  they  were,  made  an  attack  upon  a  few 
militia-men  at  Lexington,  and  then  ensued  the 
fight  at  Concord.  It  was  a  most  inglorious  ex- 
ploit for  his  majesty's  regulars,  for  as  the  country 
people  had  good  warning  of  their  purpose,  it  was 
but  poorly  accomplished,  and  they  were  forced  to 
retreat,  marking  their  homeward  way  by  a  line 
of  killed  and  wounded,  shot  from  the  shelter  of 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  19 

houses,  woods,  wnlls  and  fences,  by  the  incensed 
country  people.  That  dastardly  enterprise  was 
not  even  sanctioned  by  ministerial  authority,  when 
the  news  reached  England,  though  an  attempt 
was  made  to  charge  upon  the  provincials  the  sin 
of  striking  the  first  offensive  blow.  The  Congress 
of  the  colony  instituted  inquiries  and  procured 
certified  affidavits,  which  proved  that  both  at  Lex- 
ington and  at  Concord  the  first  fire  was  discharged 
by  the  British.  That  aggression  upon  the  liber- 
ties of  the  people  was  equally  unauthorized  and 
exasperating.  On  the  22d  of  the  month  the  Pro- 
vincial Congress  again  assembled,  voted  to  raise 
at  once  thirteen  thousand  men,  to  rally  at  Cam- 
bridge and  the  neighborhood,  and  asked  aid  from 
the  other  provinces,  to  which  Connecticut,  Rhode 
Island  and  New  Hampshire  responded.  The  forts, 
magazines  and  arsenals  were  secured  for  the 
country.  Then,  for  the  first  time,  the  title  of 
enemies  was  given  to  the  British,  and  General 
Gage  was  denounced  as  the  agent  of  tyranny  and 
oppression.  An  account  of  the  battle  at  Lexing- 
ton was  sent  to  England,  and  an  address,  closing 
thus  :  "  Appealing  to  heaven  for  the  justice  of  our 
cause,  we  determine  to  die  or  be  free." 

By  advice  received  from  Lord  Dartmouth,  the 
head  of  the  war  department,  General  Gage  issued 
a  proclamation  on  the  12th  of  June,  in  which  he 
declared  the  discontents  to  be  in  a  state  of  rebellion, 
offered  full  pardon  to  all,  with  the  exception  of 


20  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

Hancock  and  Adams,  who  would  lay  down  their 
arms  and  bow  to  his  authority,  and  announced 
that  martial  law  was  now  in  force. 

This  proclamation,  issued  on  the  first  day  of 
the  week,  was  to  be  illustrated  by  a  fearful  com- 
mentary before  another  Sabbath  came.  For  we 
have  thus  entered  upon  that  week  in  our  history 
when  was  fought  the  battle  which  has  made  that 
green  summit  the  first  altar  of  our  country's  free- 
dom. 

Of  the  fifteen  thousand  troops  then  gathered,  by 
the  cry  of  war,  at  Cambridge  and  Roxbury,  under 
the  command  of  General  Ward,  about  ten  thou- 
sand belonged  to  Massachusetts,  and  the  remainder 
to  N«w  Hampshire,  Rhode  Island  and  Connecti- 
cut. They  constituted  an  irregular  and  undisci- 
plined army,  without  accoutrements,  or  any  other 
uniform  than  their  working  suits.  Recruits  and 
stragglers  were  continually  coming  in.  Yet  many 
of  those  provincial  soldiers,  though  undisciplined 
by  any  thing  like  regular  service,  were  by  no 
means  unused  to  the  severities  and  obligations  of 
a  military  life,  having  had  experience  in  the  Indian 
and  French  wars.  One  regiment  of  artillery, 
with  nine  field-pieces,  had  been  raised  in  Massa- 
chusetts, and  put  under  command  of  the  famous 
engineer.  Colonel  Gridley,  but  it  was  not  yet 
thoroughly  organized.  A  self-constituted  Provin- 
cial Congress  discharged  the  legislative  functions, 
and  a  Committee  of  Safety,  electedby  the  Congress, 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  21 

filled  the  executive  place  of  governor  and  council, 
and  confined  their  functions  chiefly  to  military- 
directions. 

There  were  in  fact  four  independent  armies 
then  united  in  resistance  to  the  foreign  enemy. 
The  forces  then  gathered  in  the  neighborhood  did 
not  constitute  a  national  army,  for  there  was  then 
no  nation  to  own  them ;  they  were  not  under  the 
authority  of  the  Continental  Congress,  for  the  au- 
thority of  that  Congress  was  not  as  yet  acknowl- 
edged ;  nor  had  that  Congress  as  yet  recognised 
those  forces.  Neither  were  the  troops  from  Con- 
necticut, Rhode  Island  and  New  Hampshire,  sub- 
ject to  the  command  of  General  Ward,  save  as 
the  friendly  purpose  Avhich  led  them  to  volunteer 
their  arms  in  defence  of  a  sister  colony,  would  be 
accompanied  by  the  courtesy  that  would  make 
them  subordinate  allies.  These  independent 
armies  could  act  in  concert  only  by  yielding  them- 
selves to  the  influence  of  the  common  spirit  which 
called  them  together.  General  Ward  was  a  judi- 
cious and  conscientious  patriot,  had  served  the 
colony  in  high  civil  and  judicial  stations,  and  in 
the  French  war,  in  which  he  was  a  Lieutenant 
Colonel,  had  earned  some  military  experience  and 
fame.  Lieutenant  General  Thomas,  who  accepted 
his  commission  on  May  27,  was  distinguished  for 
talents,  patriotism  and  military  reputation ;  he 
was  second  in  command.  General  Pomeroy,  like- 
wise famous  in  the  border  war,  continued  to  serve 


22  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

under  the  appointment  of  the  Provincial  Congress. 
General  Putnam  preceded  his  Connecticut  troops, 
in  hurrying  to  the  scene  of  war,  on  the  news  of  the 
battle  of  Lexington.  His  men  soon  followed  him ' 
with  like  enthusiasm.  The  New  Hampshire 
troops,  on  their  arrival  at  Medford,  made  choice 
of  Colonel  Stark  as  their  leader.  General  Green 
commanded  a  regiment  from  Rhode  Island. 

The  semicircle  of  headlands,  slopes,  points  and 
eminences,  united  by  green  levels  and  extending 
over  ten  or  twelve  miles,  which  we  may  now  see 
from  these  summits,  in  all  the  beauty  of  its  sum- 
mer garb,  was  then  covered  by  the  wide-spread 
wings  of  our  citizen  army.  A  part  of  Colonel  Ger- 
rish's  regiment  from  Essex  and  Middlesex,  and  a 
detachment  of  New  Hampshire  troops,  stationed 
on  the  hills  of  Chelsea,  formed  the  tip  of  its  left 
wing,  and  all  along  the  eastern  sea-board  to  Cape 
Ann  and  Portsmouth,  were  watchful  spies  on  the 
alert  to  spread  the  alarm,  if  the  British  should  at- 
tempt an  entrance  at  any  of  the  ports.  Colonels 
Reed  and  Stark,  next  in  the  line,  were  stationed 
at  Medford  with  their  New  Hampshire  regiments. 
Lechmere's  Point,  at  East  Cambridge,  was  guard- 
ed against  a  hostile  landing,  to  which  it  offered 
great  facilities,  by  parts  of  Colonel  Little's  and 
other  regiments.  General  Ward,  with  the  main 
body  of  about  9,000  troops,  and  four  companies  of 
artillery,  occupied  Cambridge  ;  while  all  the  points 
of  high  land,  the  farms,  and  the  main  roads,  were 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  23 

cautiously  defended.  Lieutenant  General  Thomas, 
with  5,000  troops  from  Massachusetts,  Connecticut 
and  Rhode  Island,  with  three  or  four  companies  of 
artillery,  constituted  thfe  right  wing  of  the  army  at 
Roxbury  and  Dorchester. 

Here  was  a  wide  extent  of  space,  approachable 
by  land  only  at  Roxbury  neck,  where  the  British 
lines  were  strongly  entrenched,  assailable  at  seve- 
ral points  by  armed  ships  and  floating  batteries, 
but  protected  to  a  great  degree  by  shoal  and  tide 
waters,  swamps,  and  intersecting  creeks.  The 
army  was  wholly  voluntary  in  its  organization,  the 
soldiers  having  enlisted  for  different  periods,  de- 
pending for  their  daily  food  upon  the  provisions 
sent  from  their  several  towns.  Subordination  and 
obedience  to  their  officers  were  secured  and  yield- 
ed by  their  respect  for  those  whose  names  were 
familiar  to  them,  as  associated  with  magnanimity, 
enterprise  and  bravery. 

Such  was  the  constitution  and  the  disposition  of 
the  American  army  when  the  provincials  found 
themselves  in  the  singular  position  of  besieging 
their  own  chief  town  of  Boston.  That  little  penin- 
sula was  thus  completely  invested  and  hemmed  in. 
Several  of  its  inhabitants  remained  there  from  dif- 
ferent motives  ;  some  as  devoted  loyalists,  some  as 
timid  neutrals,  some  as  spies,  to  watch  each  hos- 
tile movement  and  to  communicate  it  to  the  colo- 
nists. Some  of  these  last,  together  with  many 
deserters,  would  occasionally  cross  the  water  by 


24  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

swimming,  or  in  boats,  or  pass  the  Roxbury  lines 
and  enter  the  American  camp  by  night.  Others 
there  were  whose  anxiety  for  their  property  induc- 
ed them  to  continue  in  Boston.  After  hostilities 
had  commenced,  General  Gage  of  course  consider- 
ed the  citizens  as  prisoners.  By  the  spies  and 
deserters  our  officers  generally  received  full  infor- 
mation of  all  that  occurred  in  Boston  during  the 
whole  time  of  its  investment  by  the  British.  That 
word  British  had  now  become  synonymous  with 
enemy,  and  though  the  regular  army  encamped  in 
the  capital  might  despise  the  undisciplined  multi- 
tude which  kept  it  in  such  close  quarters,  it  was 
compelled  to  regard  its  opponents  as  powerful  and 
formidable. 

At  the  time  of  the  battle  at  Lexington,  there 
were  about  4,000  British  troops  in  Boston.  The 
number  was  increased  to  more  than  10,000  before 
the  action  in  this  town.  The  best  disciplined  and 
most  experienced  troops  in  the  kingdom,  many  of 
them  freshly  laurelled  in  the  recent  wars  on  the 
European  continent,  under  the  command  of  officers 
equally  distinguished,  composed  the  invading 
army.  Gage,  the  Governor  and  Commander  in 
Chief,  had  long  resided  in  America,  and  had  mar- 
ried here.  He  came  originally  as  a  lieutenant 
under  Braddock,  and  was  with  that  general  when 
he  received  his  mortal  wound.  He  had  been 
Governor  of  Montreal,  had  succeeded  General 
Amherst  in  command  of  the  British  forces  on  this 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  25 

continent,  and  Hutchinson  as  Governor  of  Massa- 
chusetts. He  had  constantly  and  vigorously  favor- 
ed the  oppressive  measures  of  the  ministry  which 
brought  on  the  war.  He  had  strongly  fortified 
Boston  by  a  double  line  of  intrenchments  crossing 
the  neck,  and  by  batteries  there,  and  also  upon  the 
Common,  commanding  Roxbury  and  Cambridge, 
upon  Copp's  Hill,  commanding  Charlestown,  upon 
Fort  Hill  and  the  northern  extremity  of  the  town, 
commanding  the  harbor,  and  upon  West  Boston 
Point.  There  were,  besides,  at  least  twenty-five 
armed  vessels  in  the  harbor.  To  the  inhabitants 
remaining  in  Boston,  the  population  of  which,  in- 
dependent of  the  military,  was  then  about  20,000, 
the  troops  behaved  in  an  insulting  and  tyrannical 
manner. 

Thus  confronted,  both  armies  seemed  alike  con- 
fident of  success,  and  anxious  for  a  trial.  The 
British  were  naturally  mortified  at  their  condition 
as  besieged.  They  looked  with  anxiety  to  the 
heights  of  Charlestown  and  Dorchester,  and  were 
forming  measures  to  occupy  them,  having  decided 
to  put  them  in  force  on  the  ISth  of  June.  They 
regarded  their  opponents  as  rude,  untaught,  and 
cowardly  farmers,  and  were  nettled  at  being  kept 
at  bay  by  an  army  clothed  in  calico  frocks  and 
carrying  fowling-pieces. 

The  provincials  did  not  feel  their  lack  of  disci- 
pline as  they  should  have  done.  They  were  rest- 
less under  restraint,  they  were  used  to  skirmishes, 
3 


26  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

and  thought  such  would  be  the  contest  before  them. 
Yet  in  the  Council  of  War,  and  in  the  Committee 
of  Safety,  there  was  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to 
the  measures  to  be  pursued.  If  the  heights  of 
Charlestown  were  once  occupied  by  the  provin- 
cials, they  must  be  retained  against  a  constant  fire, 
which  could  not  be  answered,  as  there  were  but 
eleven  barrels  of  powder  in  the  camp,  and  these 
contained  one-sixth  of  all  that  was  in  the  province. 
General  Ward,  and  Joseph  "Warren,  who  was 
Chairman  of  the  Committee  of  Safety,  and  had 
been  elected  Major  General  on  the  14th  of  June, 
were  at  first  doubtful  as  to  the  expediency  of  in- 
trenching on  Bunker's  Hill.  General  Putnam  was 
earnest  in  advocating  the  measure,  saying,  "  the 
Americans  are  not  at  all  afraid  of  their  heads, 
though  very  much  afraid  of  their  legs  ;  if  you  cover 
these  they  will  fight  forever."  Pomeroy  coincided 
with  Putnam ;  he  was  willing  to  attack  the  enemy 
with  five  cartridges  to  a  man,  for  he  had  been  ac- 
customed in  hunting,  with  three  charges  of  powder, 
to  bring  home  two  or  three  deer.  Daring  enter- 
prise prevailed  in  the  Council,  and  it  was  resolved 
that  the  heights  of  Charlestown,  which  had  been 
reconnoitred  the  month  before  by  Colonels  Gridley 
and  Henshaw,  and  Mr.  Devens,  should  be  fortified. 
On  the  fifteenth  of  June,  the  Committee  of  Safety, 
by  a  secret  vote,  which  was  not  recorded  till  the 
19th,  advised  the  taking  possession  of  Bunker's 
Hill,  and  of  Dorchester  heights.    On  the  next  day 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  27 

the  Provincial  Congress,  as  a  counterblast  to 
General  Gage's  proclamation,  by  which  Hancock 
and  Adams  had  been  excepted  from  the  proffer  of 
a  general  amnesty,  issued  a  like  instrument,  in 
which  General  Gage  and  Admiral  Graves  were  the 
scape-goats. 

It  was  amid  the  full  splendor,  luxuriance,  and 
heat  of  our  summer,  when  rich  crops  were  waving 
upon  all  the  hills  and  valleys  around  us,  that  the 
Council  of  "War  decided  to  carry  into  execution  the 
vote  of  the  Committee  of  Safety.  We  may  omit 
the  question  as  to  the  prudence  or  discretion  of  the 
measure,  as  being  equally  difficult  of  decision  and 
unimportant,  save  as  the  misgivings  of  those  who 
predicted  that  the  deficiency  of  ammunition  would 
endanger  a  failure,  were  proved  by  the  result  to 
be  well  grounded. 


THE     BATTLE. 


On  Friday,  June  16th,  1775,  the  very  day  upon 
which  Washington  was  officially  informed,  in  the 
Congress  at  Philadelphia,  of  his  appointment  to 
the  command  of  the  Continental  army  about  to  be 
enlisted,  General  Ward  issued  orders  to  Colonels 
Prescott  and  Bridge,  and  to  the  commandant  of 
Colonel  Frye's  regiment,  to  have  their  men  ready 
and  prepared  for  immediate  service.  They  were 
all  yeomen  from  Middlesex  and  Essex  counties, 
and  were  habituated  to  the  hard  labors  of  a  farm 
beneath  a  summer's  sun.  Captain  Gridley's  new 
company  of  artillery,  and  one  hundi^ed  and  twenty 
men  from  the  Connecticut  regiment  under  the 
command  of  Captain  Knowlton,  were  included  in 
the  order.  Colonel  Gridley  accompanied  as  chief 
engineer.  Three  companies  of  Bridge's  regiment 
did  not  go,  but  as  small  parties  of  other  regiments 
fell  into  the  detachment,  it  consisted  of  from  one 
thousand  to  one  thousand  two  hundred  men. 
They  took  with  them  provisions  for  only  one  meal. 


BATTLE    OF   BUNKER   HILL.  29 

Colonel  Prescott  was  ordered  to  take  possession 
of,  to  fortify,  and  to  defend,  Bunker's  Hill,  but  to 
keep  the  purpose  of  the  expedition  secret;  nor  was 
it  known  to  the  men,  until,  on  arriving  at  Charles- 
town  neck,  they  found  the  wagons  laden  with  in- 
trenching tools.  The  detachment  was  drawn  up 
upon  Cambridge  Common,  in  front  of  General 
Ward's  head  quarters,  after  sunset,  when  prayers 
were  offered  by  Reverend  Dr.  Langdon,  President 
of  the  College.  About  nine  o'clock  the  expedition 
was  in  motion,  Prescott  with  two  sergeants  carry- 
ing dark  lanterns,  leading  the  way.  The  Colonel, 
expecting  warm  service,  carried  with  him  a  linen 
coat  or  bannian,  Avhich  he  wore  during  the  engage- 
ment. Thus  it  was  that  in  the  accounts  of  the 
battle  given  by  some  of  the  British  soldiers,  the 
American  commander  was  described  as  "  a  farmer 
dressed  in  his  frock." 

A  brief  sketch  of  the  natural  features  and  posi- 
tion of  the  scene  may  aid  the  imagination  of  the 
reader.  The  peninsula  of  Charlestown  is  in 
shape  not  unlike  a  pear,  as  an  early  settler  upon 
it  described  it :  the  stem  uniting  it  to  the  main- 
land, the  end  extending  towards  the  harbor.  Two 
small  hills,  the  Burial  Hill  and  the  Town  Hill, 
and  two  larger  summits.  Breed's  Hill  and  Bun- 
ker's Hill,  swell  out  from  its  surface.  The  south- 
eastern slope  of  Breed's  Hill  divides  the  waters 
of  the  bay  into  two  broad  rivers,  which  indent 
the  shores,  and  just  beyond  the  western  base  of 
3* 


30  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

Bunker's  Hill  approach  so  near  each  other  as  to 
allow  scarcely  four  hundred  feet  of  hreadth  to  the 
neck  of  land  Avhich  unites  the  peninsula  to  the 
neighboring  country.  The  Mystic,  on  the  north, 
washes  with  its  double  channel  the  farther  shore. 
On  the  south,  the  opposite  side  of  the  mouth  of  the 
Charles,  which,  in  its  narrowest  span,  is  about 
three  hundred  yards  across,  we  see  the  now 
crowded  peninsula  of  Boston,  similarly  environed 
by  the  waters  of  the  sea,  and  united  to  the  main- 
land at  Roxbury  by  a  narrow  neck.  The  com- 
munication between  Boston  and  Charlestown  was 
then  maintained  by  a  ferry.  A  sloping  eminence 
in  Boston,  at  the  point  where  it  approaches  nearest 
to  Charlestown,  is  called  Copp's  Hill,  and  was 
used  as  a  burial-place.  Thickly  studded  with 
graves  then,  as  now,  there  was  planted  the  battery 
whence  came  the  missiles  for  the  burning  of 
Charlestown.  Breed's  Hill  is  thus  the  part  of 
the  peninsula  which  approaches  nearest  to  Boston, 
being  less  than  a  mile  north  of  Copp's  Hill. 
Bunker's  Hill  lies  a  few  rods  north  of  a  line 
drawn  westward  from  Breed's  Hill.  The  relative 
features  of  the  two  summits,  the  highest  points  of 
which  are  one  hundred  and  thirty  rods  apart,  have 
not  been  as  yet  essentially  changed.  Bunker's 
Hill,  the  superior  elevation  of  which  has  taken  the 
fame  from  the  summit  where  the  real  action  was 
fought — rises  to  the  height  of  one  hundred  and 
twelve  feet.     Breed's  Hill,  which  bears  the  monu- 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  31 

ment,  though  it  has  been  robbed  of  its  fame,  rises 
to  the  height  of  about  sixty-two  feet.  North  and 
eastward  of  the  two  summits  the  land  slopes,  with 
occasional  irregularities,  down  to  the  Mystic  shore. 
A  point  of  land  bearing  east  from  Breed's  Hill, 
and  extending  towards  the  bay,  is  called  Morton's 
Point,  and  was  at  the  time  of  the  battle  crowned 
with  an  elevation,  called  Morton's  Hill.  This 
little  summit,  which  was  about  thirty-five  feet  in 
height,  and  was  the  place  where  the  first  detach- 
ment of  the  enemy  landed  and  formed  for  the  at- 
tack, has  been  nearly  removed.  Between  Breed's 
Hill  and  Morton's  Hill,  much  of  the  ground  was 
sloughy,  and  occupied  by  several  brick-kilns. 
Breed's  Hill  was  then  chiefly  used  by  house- 
holders in  Charlestown  for  pasturage,  and  was 
intersected  by  some  fences.  Towards  Morton's 
Point  some  patches  of  ground  were,  on  the  day  of 
the  battle,  covered  with  tall  waving  grass,  ripe 
for  the  scythe,  while  farther  back,  on  the  margin 
of  the  Mystic,  at  the  base  of  the  two  principal 
summ.its,  were  fine  crops  of  hay,  just  mown.  The 
fences,  and  tall  unmown  grass,  which  were  of 
great  advantage  to  the  Americans  in  their  station- 
ary defences,  were  grievous  impediments  and 
annoyances  to  the  British  in  their  advances.  The 
edifices  of  the  town  were  gathered  around  the 
present  square,  and  extended  along  the  main 
street  to  the  neck.  Two  roads  united  at  the  neck, 
the  one  leading  over  Winter  Hill  to  Medford,  the 


32  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

Other  to  Cambridge,  the  latter  being  low  and 
marshy,  and  exposed  to  missiles  from  Boston,  and 
from  shipping  in  the  river. 

The  order  which  Prescott  received  designated 
Bunker's  Hill  as  the  position  to  be  taken,  and  in 
the  account  of  the  battle  afterwards  prepared  by 
the  Massachusetts  Congress  it  is  said  that  Breed's 
Hill  was  fortified  by  mistake.  Here  undoubtedly 
we  must  begin  to  make  allowances  for  that  confu- 
sion which  marked  the  proceedings  of  that  event- 
ful day,  and  which  originated  in  the  necessary 
haste  with  which  all  the  measures  were  concerted 
and  executed.  The  forcible  occupation  of  the 
heights  of  Charlestown  was  designed  on  a  sudden 
emergency,  for  the  purpose  of  forestalling  a  con- 
certed plan  of  the  enemy  then  confined  in  Boston. 
It  would  be  in  vain  for  us,  therefore,  to  undertake 
to  reason  upon  the  supposition  of  any  more  defi- 
nite object  than  this,  of  taking  the  start  of  the 
enemy.  With  the  scanty  ammunition  and  artil- 
lery of  the  Americans,  and  the  few  measured 
hours  of  operation  in  which  they  might  expect  to 
work  undiscovered,  a  fortification  of  Bunker's 
Hill,  so  far  from  Boston,  would  scarcely  have 
efTected  their  purpose,  as  it  would  not  have  pre- 
vented the  landing  of  the  British  from  boats,  and 
the  occupation  by  them  of  Breed's  Hill,  if  this 
latter  summit  had  been  left  wholly  undefended. 
For  all  purposes  of  restraining  and  annoying  the 
enemy  in   Boston,  Breed's  Hill  offered  superior 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  33 

advantages.  The  Americans  have  never  referred 
to  their  works  in  this  town  as  a  specimen  of  the 
manner  in  which  they  laid  their  plans.  Dorches- 
ter Heights  upon  the  other  side,  at  the  sight  of 
which,  when  day  broke,  the  enemy  thought  it  wise 
to  take  to  their  ships,  would  be  rather  selected  by 
us  for  such  a  specimen. 

The  detachment  from  Cambridge,  on  the  night 
of  the  16th  of  June,  when  it  had  reached  this  side 
of  the  neck  was  for  a  time  undecided  as  to  the 
position  to  be  taken.  The  moments,  however, 
were  too  precious  for  deliberation,  though  many 
were  spent  upon  it.  It  was  only  after  repeated 
and  urgent  warnings  from  the  engineer  that  longer 
delay  would  nullify  all  their  labors,  that  the  works 
were  commenced  upon  Breed's  Hill,  when  the 
clocks  had  announced  the  midnight  hour.  The 
highest  part  of  the  summit  was  selected,  and 
thither  the  simple  intrenching  tools,  gathered  on 
the  spur  of  the  moment,  were  speedily  carried. 

The  intrenchments  consisted  of  a  redoubt  and  a 
breastwork,  formed  entirely  of  the  earth  heaped 
by  the  spade.  The  redoubt,  of  which  the  monu- 
ment now  occupies  the  centre,  was  eight  rods 
square ;  the  southern  side,  running  parallel  with 
the  main  street,  was  constructed  with  one  pro- 
jecting and  two  entering  angles.  On  a  line  with 
the  eastern  side,  which  faced  the  present  navy- 
yard,  was  the  breastwork,  extending  from  the  re- 
doubt nearly  four  hundred  feet  upon  the  brow  and 


34  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

down  the  slope  of  the  hill  towards  the  Mystic ; 
the  sally  port  opened  upon  the  interval  between 
the  redoubt  and  the  breastwork.  This  interval, 
that  is,  the  space  between  the  beginning  of  the 
breastwork  and  the  corner  of  the  redoubt,  was 
defended  by  a  blind,  but  the  sally  port,  the  outlet 
on  the  northern  face  of  the  redoubt,  was  not  pro- 
tected, either  within  or  outside.  Probably  the 
intention  was  to  have  extended  the  breastwork 
down  the  whole  length  of  the  hill,  had  time  per- 
mitted ;  but,  instead  of  wondering  at  the  incom- 
pleteness of  the  works,  we  are  rather  impressed 
Avith  amazement  at  the  results  which  were  brought 
about  in  four  hours  of  toil.  Colonel  Gridley 
planned  the  works,  which  exhibited  an  equal 
measure  of  military  science  and  of  Yankee  inge- 
nuity. No  vestige  of  the  redoubt  now  remains,  it 
having  been  entirely  obliterated  in  the  process  of 
laying  the  foundation  of  the  monument.  A  small 
portion  of  the  breastwork  is  distinctly  visible,  as 
causing  a  slight  protuberance  in  the  soil  which 
has  never  been  ploughed.  The  intrenchments 
which  we  now  see  lying  a  few  rods  west  of  the 
monument,  are  remains  of  the  fortifications  made 
by  the  British  army,  which  was  in  possession  of 
the  ground  for  nine  months  after  the  battle. 
Their  fortifications  upon  both  summits,  which 
occupied  several  weeks  in  their  construction,  have 
often  been  carelessly  taken  by  superficial  observers 
for  the  American  works  raised  in  four  hours  of 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  35 

darkness.  Coming  generations  will  regret,  as 
many  of  the  present  generation  do,  that  the  battle- 
ground has  been  so  disfigured  and  marred  by  the 
sale  of  all  but  a  small  portion  of  the  hill,  for  house 
lots.  Still,  the  natural  features  of  the  peninsula 
are  such  that  they  can  never  be  obliterated  to  an 
extent  which  will  deny  to  a  visiter  some  conception 
of  the  fearful  scene  which  has  made  the  ground 
famous.  The  erection  of  the  Belgic  mound  on 
the  field  of  Waterloo,  causing  the  removal  of  a 
ridge  of  earth,  has  done  as  much  injury  there,  as 
the  sale  of  house  lots  here. 

Though  the  hands  which  spaded  the  bulwarks 
of  earth  upon  Breed's  Hill  on  the  night  of  Friday, 
June  16th,  were  used  to  daily  toil,  and  brought  to 
their  unwonted  midnight  task  the  most  unflinch- 
ing courage  and  determination,  it  was  still  a  work 
of  dreadful  anxiety.  Besides  the  battery  on 
Copp's  Hill,  there  was  another  in  close  proximity 
to  Charlestown  and  to  the  road  from  Cambridge, 
erected  on  Barton's  Point,  at  the  foot  of  Leverett 
street,  in  Boston.  It  was  a  bright  star-light  night 
of  midsummer,  when  the  long  hours  of  day 
almost  deny  an  interval  to  the  darkness,  and  we 
expect  each  moment  after  twilight  in  the  west  to 
behold  the  grey  of  morning  in  the  east.  Probably 
had  the  distance  to  Boston  across  the  water  been 
one  rod  less,  the  midnight  laborers  would  have 
been  discovered.  Cooper,  in  his  admirable  tale 
of  Lionel  Lincoln,  which  is  remarkably  faithful 


36  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

to  history  in  most  of  its  details,  has  represented 
the  sounds  of  the  work  as  audible,  at  least  as 
occasional  and  smothered  tokens  of  some  secret 
enterprise,  to  the  guard  on  Copp's  Hill.  It  may- 
have  been  so,  but  no  proof  of  it  appears.  A  guard 
was  stationed  on  the  Charlestown  shore  nearest 
to  Boston,  to  anticipate  any  movement  of  the 
enemy.  Prescott  himself  went  there  in  company 
with  our  late  Governor  Brooks,  then  a  major  in 
Bridge's  regiment,  and  heard  from  the  enemy's 
sentries,  when  relieving  guard,  the  cry,  "  All  's 
well."  He  returned  to  his  Avorks  upon  the  hill, 
and  after  another  interval,  thinking  it  impossible 
that  the  enemy  could  be  so  dull  of  hearing,  he 
went  down  to  the  shore  again,  and  finding  all 
secure,  he  recalled  the  guard,  as  their  hands 
were  needed  even  more  than  their  ears.  The 
moments  may  have  passed  rapidly,  )^et  they 
must  have  left  space  for  thought ;  and  then  those 
earnest  patriots,  knowing  full  well  to  what  a  ser- 
vice the  light  of  day  would  introduce  them, 
could  not  but  call  before  their  minds,  their  homes, 
their  wives  and  children,  and  striking  the  balance 
between  their  private  joys  and  their  public  rights, 
resolve  that  they  must  fight.  The  resolve  must 
have  been  deeply  formed,  for  it  was  cherished 
and  acted  upon  through  a  day  of  horrors  which 
they  could  not  have  anticipated.  The  midnight 
work    went    on,    and    those    burdened    moments 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  37 

secured  the  results  of  long  years  of  liberty  and 
prosperity  to  a  nation. 

There  was  a  scene  for  the  imagination  to  pic- 
ture. Even  the  narrow  space  occupied  by  the 
river's  bed  was  wider  than  the  distance  between 
those  midnight  laborers  and  their  enemies.  Five 
armed  vessels  then  floated  in  the  stream,  and  the 
Boston  shore  was  guarded  by  a  belt  of  sentinels. 
The  Glasgow  frigate,  with  twenty  guns  and  one 
hundred  and  thirty  men,  lay  on  the  line  of  the 
present  Cragie's  Point  Bridge,  and  commanded 
the  neck  of  land  by  which  the  peninsula  of 
Charlestown  is  united  to  Cambridge ;  the  Somer- 
set, with  sixty-eight  guns,  and  five  hundred  and 
twenty  men,  lying  near  the  draw  of  the  pres- 
ent Charlestown  Bridge,  commanded  Charlestown 
Square  and  its  dwelling-houses  ;  the  Lively, 
with  twenty  guns,  and  one  hundred  and  thirty 
men,  lying  off  the  present  navy-yard,  could 
throw  its  shot  directly  upon  the  redoubt ;  the 
Falcon,  sloop  of  war,  lying  off  Morton's  Point, 
defended  the  ascent  between  the  landing  places 
of  the  British  and  Breed's  Hill ;  and  the  Cer- 
berus, of  thirty-six  guns,  maintained  a  continual 
fire  during  the  action.  These  vessels  were  most 
advantageously  situated  for  the  purposes  of  the 
enemy,  and  it  seemed  almost  impossible  that  the 
sentries  could  have  been  wakeful  at  their  posts, 
and  not  have  overheard  or  suspected  the  opera- 
tions of  the  hill.  Either  dullness  in  them,  or 
4 


38  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

wonderful  caution  and  unbroken  harmony  among 
the  provincials,  must  have  secured  the  unbroken 
repose  of  those  midnight  hours. 

The  brief  interval  of  darkness  after  the  labors 
of  intrenching  had  commenced,  at  last  gave  place 
to  the  grey  of  early  morning.  On  that  moment, 
when  the  sun  sent  forth  the  first  heralds  of  his 
coming,  seems  to  have  been  suspended  the  inter- 
ests of  nations.  Then  was  the  moment  for  peace 
to  insinuate  her  mild  influences,  before  brutal 
passions  had  been  kindled  at  the  roar  of  can- 
non and  the  flow  of  blood.  If  true  patriotism,  if 
wise  policy,  if  the  love  which  Christian  people,  of 
the  same  lineage,  should  bear  to  each  other,  had 
been  allowed  its  full  free  influence  over  the  par- 
ties in  the  approaching  struggle,  how  much  agony 
and  wo,  and  fruitless  wretchedness,  might  have 
been  averted.  Even  then  it  was  not  too  late  for 
justice  to  have  ensured  peace.  Even  then  a 
vessel  was  on  her  way  to  the  mother  country, 
bearing  yet  another  earnest  petition  from  her  in- 
jured colonists,  for  a  redress  of  grievances  ;  but 
the  same  ocean  which  was  transmitting  her  fruit- 
less message,  was  already  crowded  with  a  hostile 
fleet  coming  hither  with  the  instruments  of  death  ; 
and  on  the  very  day  of  the  battle,  and  upon  the 
eve  before,  reinforcements  of  foreign  troops  had 
entered  the  harbor. 

The  blood  shed  at  Concord  and  Lexington, 
with  the  long  list  of  antecedent  outrages,  might 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  39 

have  been  forgiven  by  our  fathers.  They  had 
not  been  the  aggressors  ;  they  acted  only  on  the 
defensive ;  they  struck  a  blow  only  to  ward  off  a 
blow.  There  is  no  evidence  that  the  heights  of 
Charlestown  were  occupied  for  any  other  purpose 
than  that  of  defence,  to  confine  the  enemy  within 
their  narrow  quarters,  and  to  prevent  any  more 
hostile  incursions  into  the  country.  When  the 
morning  sun  displayed  to  the  astonished  invaders 
the  character  of  the  last  night's  labor,  and  showed 
them  the  workmen  still  employed,  with  undis- 
mayed hearts  and  untired  hands,  it  was  not  even 
then  too  late  for  peace.  Gage  and  his  officers,  at 
least,  if  their  hired  subordinates  did  not,  should, 
have  honored,  though  they  might  not  have  feared, 
that  patriot  band ;  should  have  respected  the 
spirit  which  controlled  them,  and  should  have 
counted  the  cost  of  the  bloody  issue.  But  not 
one  moment,  not  one  word,  perhaps  not  one 
thought,  was  spent  upon  intercession  or  warning. 
The  instant  that  the  first  beams  of  light  mark- 
ed distinctly  the  outlines  of  the  Americans,  and 
of  their  intrenchments  upon  the  hill,  the  cannon 
of  the  Lively,  which  floated  nearest,  opened  a  hot 
fire  upon  them,  at  the  same  time  arousing  the 
sleepers  in  Boston,  to  come  forth  as  spectators  or 
actors  in  the  cruel  tragedy.  The  other  armed 
vessels,  some  floating  batteries,  and  the  battery 
on  Copp's  Hill,  combined  to  pour  forth  their 
volleys,  uttering  a  startling  and  dismal  note  of 


40  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

preparation  for  the  day's  conflict.  But  the  works, 
though  not  completed,  were  in  a  state  of  such 
forwardness  that  the  missiles  of  destruction 
fell  harmless,  and  the  intrenchers  continued  to 
strengthen  their  position.  The  enemy  in  Boston 
could  scarcely  credit  their  eyesight.  Prescott, 
the  hero  of  the  day,  with  whom  its  proudest  fame 
should  rest,  was  undaunted,  ardent,  and  full  of 
heroic  energy.  He  planned  and  directed,  he 
encouraged  the  men,  he  mounted  the  works,  and 
with  his  bald  head  uncovered,  and  his  command- 
ing frame,  he  was  a  noble  personification  of  a 
patriot  cause.  Some  of  the  men  incautiously 
ventured  in  front  of  the  works,  when  one  of  them 
was  instantly  killed  by  a  cannon  shot.  This 
first  victim  was  buried  in  the  ditch,  and  his  com- 
panions were  fearfully  warned  of  the  fatalities 
which  the  day  would  bring  yet  nearer  to  them. 

When  the  orders  had  been  issued  at  Cam- 
bridge, the  night  before,  to  those  who  had  thus 
complied  with  them,  refreshments  and  reinforce- 
ments had  been  promised  in  the  morning.  Thus 
some  of  the  men  might  have  thought  they  had 
fulfilled  their  part  of  the  work,  and  were  entitled 
to  relief,  or  were  at  liberty  to  depart.  Some  few, 
when  the  first  victim  fell,  left  the  hill,  and  did 
not  return.  Those  who  remained  were  exhausted 
with  their  toil,  and  without  food  or  water,  and 
the  morning  was  already  intensely  hot.  The 
officers,  sympathizing   with   their   situation   and 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  41 

sufferings,  requested  Prescott  to  send  to  Cam- 
bridge for  relief.  He  summoned  a  council  of 
war,  but  was  resolute  against  the  petition,  saying 
that  the  enemy  would  not  venture  an  attack,  and 
if  they  did  venture,  would  be  defeated ;  that  the 
men  who  had  raised  the  works  were  best  able  to 
defend  them,  and  deserved  the  honor  of  the  vic- 
tory ;  that  they  had  already  learned  to  despise 
the  fire  of  the  enemy.  The  vehemence  of  Pres- 
cott infused  new  spirit  into  the  men,  and  they 
resolved  to  stand  the  dread  issue.  Prescott  or- 
dered a  guard  to  the  ferry  to  prevent  a  landing 
there.  He  was  seen  by  Gage,  Avho  was  recon- 
noitring from  Copp's  Hill,  and  who  inquired 
of  Counsellor  Willard,  by  his  side,  "  Who  is 
that  officer  commanding  ?  "  Willard  recognised 
his  brother-in-law,  and  named  Colonel  Prescott. 
"  Will  he  fight  ?  "  asked  Gage.  The  answer 
was,  "  Yes,  sir,  depend  upon  it,  to  the  last  drop 
of  blood  in  him ;  but  I  cannot  answer  for  his 
men."  Yet  Prescott  could  answer  for  his  men, 
and  that  amounted  to  the  same  thing. 

The  measures  of  the  enemy  were  undoubtedly 
delayed  by  sheer  amazement  and  surprise,  on 
finding  that  the  intrepidity  of  the  provincials  had 
anticipated  them  in  an  enterprise  upon  which 
they  had  deliberately  decided.  In  the  council 
of  war  called  by  Gage,  all  were  unanimous  that 
the  enemy  must  be  dislodged,  but  there  was  a 
difference  of  opinion  as  to  the  manner  of  effecting 
4* 


42  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

this  object.  The  majority  agreed  with  Generals 
Clinton  and  Grant,  in  advising  that  the  British 
troops  should  be  embarked  at  the  bottom  of  the 
Common,  in  boats,  and,  under  the  protection  of 
the  ships  and  floating  batteries,  should  land  at 
Charlestown,  and  thus  hold  the  provincials  and 
their  intrenchments  at  their  mercy.  But  General 
Gage  overruled  the  advice,  and  determined  upon 
landing  and  making  an  attack  in  front  of  the 
works,  fearing  that  his  troops,  if  landed  at  the 
Neck,  would  be  ruinously  surrounded  by  the  in- 
trenchers  and  the  whole  army  at  Cambridge. 

Meanwhile,  General  Ward,  though  repeatedly 
solicited  by  General  Putnam,  who  had  been  at 
the  ground  by  night,  or  early  in  the  morning, 
and  by  messengers  sent  from  Prescott,  hesitated 
about  weakening  the  strength  of  the  main  army 
by  sending  reinforcements  to  the  Heights  ;  for,  as 
the  enemy  had  not  yet  landed,  he  had  good 
reason  to  fear  that  they  might  divide  their  forces, 
and,  while  engaging  with  the  intrenchers,  effect  a 
landing  at  some  other  spot,  and  proceed  to  Water- 
town  or  Cambridge,  where  the  scanty  stores  of 
the  provincials  were  deposited. 

By  nine  o'clock,  the  preparations  in  Boston, 
heard  and  seen  by  Prescott  on  the  hill,  informed 
him  of  the  determination  of  the  British  to  attack. 
He  therefore  gave  up  his  first  opinion,  that  they 
would  not  dare  to  resist  him,  and  comforted  him- 
self and  his  men  with  the  promise  of  cenain  and 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  43 

glorious  victory.  He  sent  Major  Brooks  to  Gen- 
eral Ward,  to  urge  the  necessity  of  his  being 
reinforced.  Brooks,  being  obliged  to  proceed  on 
foot,  as  Captain  Gridley  would  not  risk  one  of 
his  artillery  horses  to  pass  the  Neck,  which  was 
swept  by  the  Glasgow  frigate,  arrived  about  ten 
o'clock  at  head-quarters,  where  the  Committee 
of  Safety  were  then  in  session.  Brooks's  ur- 
gency, seconded  by  the  solicitations  of  Richard 
Devens,  a  member  of  the  Committee,  and  a  citizen 
of  Charlestown,  induced  General  Ward  to  order 
that  Colonels  Reed  and  Stark,  then  at  Medford, 
should  reinforce  Prescott  with  the  New  Hamp- 
shire troops.  The  companies  at  Chelsea  were 
then  recalled,  and  the  order  reached  Medford  at 
eleven  o'clock.  The  men  were  as  speedily  as 
possible  provided  with  ammunition,  though  much 
tim.e  was  consumed  in  the  preparation.  Each 
man  received  two  flints,  a  gill  of  powder,  and 
fifteen  balls.  They  were  without  cartridge-boxes, 
and  used  powder-horns  and  pouches,  or  their 
pockets,  as  substitutes,  and  in  making  up  their 
cartridges,  they  were  obliged  to  beat  and  shape 
their  balls  according  to  the  different  calibre  of 
their  guns. 

Dr.  Joseph  Warren,  one  of  the  most  distin- 
guished and  self-sacrificing  of  the  many  patriots 
of  the  time,  had  not  yet  taken  the  commission 
which  was  granted  to  him  on  the  14th  of  June. 
He   had   twice  maintained  the  cause   of   liberty 


44  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

in  the  very  teeth  of  British  officers,  on  the 
annual  commemoration  of  the  '5th  of  March. 
When  the  report  of  the  coming  action  reached 
him  at  Water  town,  where  he  then  was,  as  acting 
President  of  the  Provincial  Congress  and  Chair- 
man of  the  Committee  of  Safety,  though  sutfering 
from  illness  and  exhaustion,  he  resolved  to  join 
in  the  strife.  Wholly  inexperienced  as  he  was 
in  military  tactics,  his  determination  could  not 
be  shaken  by  the  earnest  remonstrances  of  his 
friends.  His  presence  and  counsel  were  needed 
in  the  Committee,  but  he  persisted  in  his  resolve, 
and  we  must  lament,  as  all  his  contemporaries 
lamented,  that  his  heroism  outran  his  prudence, 
and  would  not  be  controlled  by  duly  in  another 
direction. 

The  hostile  arrangements  of  the  British  heing 
concluded,  the  devoted  band  upon  the  slightly 
fortified  hill  soon  saw  the  result.  At  noon, 
twenty-eight  barges,  formed  in  two  parallel  lines, 
left  the  end  of  Long  Wharf,  and  made  for  Mor- 
ton's Point,  the  most  feasible  landing-place.  The 
barges  w^ere  crowded  with  British  troops  of  the 
5th,  38th,  43d,  and  52d  battalions  of  infantry 
two  companies  of  grenadiers,  and  ten  of  light 
infantry.  These  troops  were  all  splendidly  ap- 
pointed, with  glittering  firelocks  and  bayonets, 
but  sadly  encumbered,  for  the  hot  work  before 
them  and  the  hot  sun  above  them,  by  their  arms 
and   ammunition ,    and   it   would    seem   by   the 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  45 

statement  of  their  own  historian,  Stedman,  that 
they  carried  a  hundred  pounds  of  provision, 
intended  to  last  for  three  days.  Their  regular 
and  uniform  appearance,  with  six  pieces  of  ord- 
nance shining  in  the  bows  of  the  leading  barges, 
presented  an  imposing  and  alarming  spectacle  to 
our  raw  soldiery.  A  part  of  the  regulars  that  had 
lately  arrived,  had  been  retained  on  board  of  the 
transports,  on  account  of  the  crowded  state  of 
Boston.  A  part  of  these  were  landed  for  the  first 
time  at  Charlestown,  and  thus  the  first  spot  of 
American  soil  upon  which  many  of  them  trod, 
became  to  them  a  grave.  The  oflScers  were  all 
men  of  experience  and  valor :  Generals  Howe 
and  Pigot,  Colonels  Nesbit,  Abercrorabie,  and 
Clarke,  Majors  Butler,  Williams,  Bruce,  Spend- 
love.  Smelt,  Mitchell,  Pitcairn,  Short,  Small,  and 
Lord  Rawdon,  were  the  most  distinguished. 
Captain  Addison,  related  to  the  author  of  the 
"  Spectator,"  had  arrived  in  Boston  on  the  day 
before  the  battle,  and  had  then  accepted  an  invi- 
tation to  dine  with  General  Burgoyne  on  the 
17th,  when  a  far  different  experience  awaited 
him,  for  he  was  numbered  among  the  slain. 

This  detachment  landed  at  Morton's  Point 
about  one  o'clock,  defended  by  the  shipping,  and 
wholly  unmolested.  They  soon  discovered  an 
egregious  and  provoking  act  of  carelessness  on 
the  part  of  their  master  of  ordnance,  in  send- 
ing over  cannon-balls  too  large  for  their  pieces. 


46  BATTLE    OF    BrNKER    HILL. 

They  were  immediately  returned  to  Boston,  and 
were  not  replaced  in  season  for  the  first  action. 
At  the  same  time,  General  Howe,  the  commander 
of  the  detachment,  requested  of  General  Gage  a 
reinforcement,  which  he  thought  to  be  necessary 
the  moment  that  he  had  a  fair  view  of  the  ele- 
vated and  formidable  position  of  the  provincials, 
as  seen  from  the  Point. 

While  these  messages  were  passing,  some  of 
the  British  troops,  stretched  at  their  ease  upon 
the  grass,  eat  in  peace  their  last  meal,  refreshing 
their  thirst  from  large  tubs  of  drink, — a  tanta- 
lizing sight  to  the  provincials.  About  two  o'clock 
the  reinforcement  landed  at  Madlin's  ship-yard, 
now  the  navy-yard.  It  consisted  of  the  47th  bat- 
talion of  infantry,  a  battalion  of  marines,  and  some 
more  companies  of  grenadiers  and  light  infantry. 
The  whole  number  of  British  troops  who  engaged 
in  the  course  of  the  action  did  not  fall  short  of, 
and  probably  exceeded,  4,000.  In  connection 
with  this  force,  which  far  surpassed  that  of  the 
provincials  in  numbers,  and  was  immeasurably 
superior  to  them  in  discipline  and  military  appoint- 
ments, we  are  to  consider  the  marines  in  the  ships, 
which  completely  cannonaded  three  sides  of  the 
hill,  and  the  six-gun  battery  on  Copp's  Hill,  as 
engaging  in  the  unequal  contest.  Contrasting 
a  British  regular  with  a  provincial  soldier,  we 
are  accustomed  to  ascribe  immense  advantages 
of  discipline  to  the  former.     Yet  we  are  to  re- 


BATTLE    OP    BUNKER    HILL.  47 

member  that  an  overpowering  superiority  of 
character  and  of  cause  was  on  the  side  of  the 
latter.  If  we  could  have  followed  a  recruiting 
sergeant  of  Great  Britain  at  that  time,  as  he 
hunted  out  from  dram-shops  and  the  haunts  of 
idleness  and  vice,  the  low  and  vulgar  inebriate, 
the  lawless  and  dissolute  spendthrift,  seeing  how 
well  the  sergeant  knew  where  to  look  for  his 
recruits,  we  should  know  how  much  discipline 
could  do  for  them,  and  how  much  it  must  leave 
undone.  The  provincials  were  not  acquainted 
with  the  forms  and  terms  of  military  tactics  ;  but 
they  knew  the  difference  between  half-cock  and 
double-cock,  and  the  more  they  hated  the  vermin 
which  they  had  been  used  to  hunt  with  their 
fowling-pieces,  the  straighter  did  the  bullet  speed 
from  the  muzzle.  But  their  superiority  consisted 
in  the  kind  of  pay  which  they  were  to  receive, 
not  in  pounds  and  shillings,  but  in  a  free  land,  a 
happy  home,  and  rulers  of  their  own  choice. 

While  the  British  troops  were  forming  their 
lines,  a  slight  work  was  constructed  by  the 
Connecticut  troops,  sent  from  the  redoubt,  under 
Captain  Knowlton,  which  proved  of  essential 
service  to  the  provincials.  A  rail  fence,  under 
a  small  part  of  which  a  stone  wall  was  piled  to 
the  height  of  about  tv/o  feet,  ran  from  the  road 
which  crossed  the  tongue  of  land  between  the 
hills,  to  the  bank  of  the  Mystic,  with  a  few  apple 
trees  on  each  side  of  it.     The  provincials  pulled 


48  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

up  some  other  fences  near  by,  and  set  them  in  a 
line  parallel  with  this,  filling  the  space  between 
with  the  fresh  mown  hay  around  the  ground. 
The  length  of  this  slight  defence  Avas  about  700 
feet.  It  was  about  600  feet  in  rear  of  the  re- 
doubt and  breastwork,  and  had  it  been  on  a  line 
with  them,  would  have  left  a  space  of  about 
100  feet  between  the  ends  of  the  earthen  and  the 
wooden  defences.  Thus  there  was  an  opening 
of  about  700  feet  on  the  slope  of  the  hill  between 
the  intrenchments  and  the  rail  fence,  which  the 
provincials  had  not  time  to  secure.  Part  of  this 
intervening  space  then,  as  now,  was  sloughy,  and 
as  there  were  no  means  of  defending  it  save  a 
few  scattered  trees,  the  troops  behind  the  breast- 
work were  exposed  to  a  galling  fire  from  the  ene- 
my, on  their  third  attack,  which  finally  brought 
about  the  unfavorable  issue  of  the  strife.  The 
six  pieces  of  British  artillery  were  stationed  at 
first  upon  Morton's  Hill. 

All  these  preparations,  visible  as  they  were  to 
thousands  upon  the  neighboring  hill-tops,  steeples 
and  house-roofs,  were  watched  with  the  intensest 
anxiety.  Undoubtedly,  the  common  persuasion 
and  fear  was,  that  General  Gage  would  himself 
lead  a  portion,  if  not  the  whole  of  the  residue  of 
his  army,  upon  an  attack  at  some  other  point  in 
the  semi-circle.  Roxbury  was  heavily  cannon- 
aded, to  retain  the  forces  there  from  proceeding 
to  Charlestown.     A  schooner,  with  500  or  600 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  49 

men,  was  directed  to  the  Cambridge  shore,  but 
wind  and  tide  proved  unfavorable.  In  fear  of 
these  movements,  great  caution  was  advisable  in 
sending  reinforcements  vipon  the  hill.  Captain 
Callender  was  ordered  there  with  his  artillery. 
Gardner's,  Patterson's,  and  Doolittle's  regiments 
were  stationed  at  different  points  between  Charles- 
town  Neck  and  Cambridge.  This  Neck,  though 
frequently  passed  by  our  officers  and  troops  in 
single  file,  was  fearfully  hazardous  during  the 
whole  day,  as  it  was  raked  by  a  fire  of  round, 
bar  and  chain  shot,  from  the  Glasgow,  and  from 
two  armed  gondolas  near  the  shore.  The  rein- 
forcements arrived  from  Medford  before  the  en- 
gagement, though  General  Stark  had  led  them 
very  moderately,  insisting  that  "  one  fresh  man 
in  battle  is  worth  ten  fatigued  ones."  General 
Putnam  stopped  a  part  of  them  to  unite  with  a 
detachment  from  the  redoubt  in  attempting  to 
fortify  Bunker's  Hill,  which  was  of  great  con- 
sequence to  the  provincials  in  case  of  a  retreat. 
Stark,  with  oaths  and  encouragements,  led  on  the 
remainder  to  the  rail  fence. 

It  soon  became  a  matter  of  importance  to  the 
provincials  to  seek  the  utmost  possible  help  from 
their  artillery,  but  it  amounted  to  very  little.  A 
few  ineffectual  shot  had  been  fired  from  Gridley's 
pieces  in  the  redoubt,  against  Copp's  Hill  and  the 
shipping,  when  the  pieces  were  removed  and 
placed  with  Captain  Callender  at  the  space 
5 


50  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

between  the  fence  and  the  breastwork.  Here 
they  would  have  been  of  some  service  in  defend- 
ing our  weakest  and  most  exposed  point.  But 
the  officers  and  the  companies  who  had  them  in 
charge,  were  wholly  ignorant  of  their  manage- 
ment ;  and,  on  the  plea  of  having  unsuitable  car- 
tridges, Callender  was  drawing  his  guns  off  to 
prepare  ammunition,  when  Putnam  urged  him 
to  return.  The  pieces  were  fired  a  few  time.--, 
and  soon  afterwards  were  moved  by  Captain 
Ford  to  the  rail  fence. 

General  Pomeroy,  at  Cambridge,  old  as  he 
was,  was  moved  like  the  war-horse  at  the  smell 
of  the  battle.  He  begged  a  horse  of  General 
Ward  that  he  might  ride  to  Charlestown,  but  on 
reaching  the  neck,  and  observing  the  hot  fire 
which  raked  it,  he  was  afraid  to  risk  the  borrow- 
ed animal.  Giving  him  then  in  charge  to  a 
sentry,  he  walked  on  to  the  rail  fence,  where 
his  well-known  form  and  countenance  called  forth 
enthusiastic  shouts.  Colonel  Little  came  up  with 
his  regiment,  and  the  men  were  stationed  along 
the  line,  from  the  rail  fence  on  the  left  to  a  cart- 
way. There  were  also  reinforcements,  of  about 
300  troops  each,  from  Brewer's,  Nixon's,  Wood- 
bridge's,  and  Doolittle's  regiments,  detachments 
of  which  were  stationed  along  the  main  street  in 
Charlestown.  Colonel  Scammans,  who  was  de- 
prived of  his  sense  and  his  courage,  either  by 
confusion  or   fear,  had   been   ordered  by  General 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  61 

Ward  to  go  where  the  fighting  was.  He  went 
to  Lechmere's  Point,  understanding,  as  he  said, 
that  the  enemy  were  landing  there.  He  Avas 
advised  to  go  to  the  Hill.  He  chose  to  under- 
stand the  nearest  hill,  and  so  he  posted  himself 
upon  Cobble  Hill,  where  the  Insane  Hospital 
now  stands,  and  occupied  that  useless  position. 
General  Warren  arrived  just  before  the  action. 
Putnam  endeavored  to  dissuade  him  from  enter- 
ing it,  and  then  recommended  to  him  a  safe 
place,  and  offered  to  receive  his  orders.  But 
Warren  could  not  be  thus  wrought  upon.  He 
said  he  came  only  as  a  volunteer,  and,  instead  of 
seeking  a  place  of  safety,  wished  to  know  where 
the  onset  would  be  most  furious.  Putnam  point- 
ed to  the  redoubt  as  the  place  of  danger  and 
importance.  Prescott  there  ofTered  to  receive 
Warren's  orders,  but  he  again  said  he  was  happy 
to  serve  as  a  volunteer. 

The  tune  of  Yankee  Doodle,  which  afforded 
the  British  so  much  sport  as  ridiculing  the  pro- 
vincials, was  the  tune  by  which  our  fathers  were 
led  on  to  that  contest.  Let  their  example  com- 
mend to  us  this  only  way  of  depriving  ridicule 
of  its  sting ;  for  there  is  nothing  which  it  so 
much  annoys  men  to  spend  in  vain  as  their  scorn. 

Before  the  engagement  commenced.  Captain 
Walker,  of  Chelmsford,  led  a  band  of  about  fifty 
resolute  men  down  into  Charlestown  to  annoy 
the  enemy's  left  flank.    They  did  great  execution, 


52  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

and  then  abandoned  their  dangerous  position,  to 
attack  the  right  flank  upon  Mystic  river.  Here 
the  captain  was  wounded  and  taken  prisoner. 
He  died  of  his  wounds  in  Boston  jail. 

The  British,  in  their  attack,  aimed  at  two 
distinct  objects  :  first,  to  force  and  carry  the  re- 
doubt ;  second,  to  turn  the  left  flank  of  our  troops, 
and  thus  to  cut  oiT  their  retreat.  To  accomplish 
the  former,  General  Pigot,  who  commanded  the 
British  left  wing,  displayed  under  cover  of  the 
eastern  slope  of  the  hill,  and  advanced  against 
the  redoubt  and  breastwork.  General  Howe  led 
the  right  wing,  which  advanced  along  the  shore 
of  the  Mystic  to  the  rail  fence.  The  artillery 
prepared  the  way  for  the  infantry,  and  it  was  at 
this  time  that  the  mistake  of  the  oversized  balls 
was  a  great  grievance  to  the  enemy,  as  they  had 
but  a  few  rounds  of  proper  shot. 

It  was  of  vital  necessity  that  every  charge  of 
powder  and  ball  spent  by  the  Americans,  should 
take  effect.  There  was  none  for  waste.  The 
officers  commanded  their  men  to  withhold  their 
fire  till  the  enemy  were  within  eight  rods,  and 
when  they  could  see  the  whites  of  their  eyes,  to 
aim  at  their  waistbands  ;  also  to  "  aim  at  the  hand- 
some coats,  and  pick  off*  the  commanders."  As 
the  British  left  wing  came  within  gun-shot,  the 
men  in  the  redoubt  could  scarcely  restrain  their 
fire,  and  a  few  discharged  their  pieces.  Prescott, 
indignant   at    this    disobedience,   vowed    instant 


BATTLE     OF    BUNKER     HILL.  63 

death  to  any  one  who  should  repeat  it,  and  prom- 
ised, by  the  confidence  which  they  reposed  in 
him,  to  give  the  command  at  the  proper  moment. 
His  Lieutenant  Colonel,  Robinson,  ran  round  the 
top  of  the  works  and  knocked  up  the  muskets. 
When  the  space  between  the  assailants  and  the 
redoubt  was  narrowed  to  the  appointed  span,  the 
word  was  spoken  at  the  moment ;  the  deadly 
flashes  burst  forth,  and  the  green  grass  was 
crimsoned  with  the  life-blood  of  hundreds.  The 
front  rank  was  nearly  obliterated,  as  were  its 
successive  substitutes,  as  the  Americans  were 
well  protected,  and  were  deliberate  in  their  aim. 
The  enemy  fell  like  the  tall  grass  which  grew 
around  before  the  practised  sweep  of  the  mower. 
General  Pigot  was  obliged  to  give  the  word  for  a 
retreat.  Some  of  the  wounded  were  seen  crawl- 
ing with  the  last  energies  of  life  from  the  gory 
heap  of  the  dying  and  the  dead,  among  whom 
the  officers,  by  their  proportion,  far  outnumbered 
the  private  soldiers.  As  the  wind  rolled  away 
the  suffocating  smoke,  and  the  blasts  of  the  artil- 
lery and  the  musketry  for  a  moment  ceased,  the 
awful  spectacle,  the  agonizing  yells  and  shrieks 
of  the  sufferers,  were  distracting  and  piercing. 
Prayers  and  groans,  foul,  impious  oaths,  and  fond 
invocations  of  the  loved  and  the  dear,  were  min- 
gled into  sounds  which  scarcely  seemed  of  human 
utterance,  by  the  rapturous  shout  of  victory  which 
rang  from  the  redoubt.  The  earth  has  not  a 
6* 


64  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

sight  or  sound  more  maddening,  in  its  passion  or 
its  wo,  than  a  battle-field.  The  fabled  pit  beneath 
the  earth  then  opens  from  its  bowels,  and  covers 
its  fair  surface  with  the  flames  and  yells  of 
demon  strife. 

While  such  was  the  temporary  aspect  of  the 
field  near  the  redoubt,  General  Howe,  with  the 
right  wing,  made  for  the  rail  fence,  where  Put- 
nam, assisted  by  Captain  Ford's  company,  had 
posted  the  artillery  with  success.  Here,  as  at  the 
redoubt,  some  of  the  provincials  were  tempted 
to  discharge  their  muskets  while  the  advancing 
enemy  were  destroying  a  fence  which  crossed 
their  path.  Putnam,  with  an  oath,  threatened  to 
cut  down  with  his  sword  the  next  offender.  The 
word  was  given  when  the  enemy  Avere  within 
eight  rods.  The  artillery  had  already  made  a 
lane  through  the  column,  and  now  the  fowling- 
pieces  mowed  down  their  victims,  especially  the 
officers,  with  fearful  celerity.  The  assailants 
were  compelled  to  retreat,  leaving  behind  them 
heaps  of  the  fallen,  while  some  of  the  flying  even 
hurried  to  their  boats.  Their  artillery  had  stop- 
ped in  the  slough  among  the  brick-kilns,  and 
could  do  but  little.  The  regulars  did  not  take 
aim,  and  their  shot  passed  high  over  the  heads 
of  the  Americans.  The  trees  around  were  af- 
terwards observed  with  their  trunks  unscathed, 
while  their  branches  Avere  riddled  through  and 
through.     The  passionate  shout  of  victory  again 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  55 

rang  through  the  American  lines,  and  even  the 
coward  was  nerved  to  daring. 

Now  it  was  that  our  troops  and  our  cause  suf- 
fered from  the  want  of  discipline,  and  from  the 
confusion  apparent  in  the  whole  management  of 
the  action,  originating  in  the  hasty  and  imperfect 
preparation,  and  in  their  ignorance  of  the  pur- 
poses of  the  enemy.  The  Neck  of  land  ploughed 
by  the  engines  of  death,  and  clouded  by  the  dust 
thus  raised,  was  an  almost  insuperable  obstacle  to 
the  bringing  on  of  reinforcements.  Major  Grid- 
ley,  wholly  unfitted  in  spirit  and  in  skill,  had  been 
put  in  command  of  a  battalion  of  infantry  in  com- 
pliment to  his  father.  He  lost,  and  could  not 
recover,  his  self-possession  and  courage.  Though 
ordered  to  the  hill,  he  advanced  towards  Charles- 
town  slowly  and  fearfully ;  and  though  urged  by 
Colonel  Frye  to  hasten,  he  was  satisfied  with  the 
poor  service  of  firing  three-pounders  from  Cobble 
Hill  upon  the  Glasgow.  His  Captain,  Trevett, 
refused  obedience  to  such  weakness,  and  ordered 
his  men  to  follow  him  to  the  works.  Colonel 
Gerrish,  Avith  his  artillery  on  Bunker's  Hill, 
could  neither  be  urged  nor  intimidated  by  Put- 
nam to  bring  his  pieces  to  the  rail  fence.  He 
was  unwieldy  with  corpulence,  and  overcome 
with  heat  and  fatigue.  His  men  had  been  scat- 
tered from  the  summit  of  the  hill,  by  the  shot 
from  the  Glasgow,  which  took  tremendous  effect 
here,  as  it  was  thought  to  be  strongly  fortified. 


66  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

The  enemy  rallied  for  a  second  attack.  Though 
they  had  sorely  suffered,  and  some  few  of  the 
officers  were  reluctant  to  renew  the  fatal  effort, 
yet  the  large  body,  like  the  general,  would  have 
yielded  to  death  in  any  form  of  horror,  before 
they  would  have  left  the  field  to  those  whom  they 
had  always  represented  as  cowards.  At  this 
crisis  four  hundred  reinforcements  came  over 
from  Boston  to  repair  the  British  loss,  and  Dr. 
Jeffries  accompanied  them  as  surgeon.  The  reg- 
ulars again  steadily  advanced,  and  with  the 
dreadful  apathy  of  feeling  induced  by  a  battle- 
field, they  even  piled  up  the  bodies  of  their 
slaughtered  comrades  as  a  breastwork  for  their 
own  protection.  The  artillery  was  now  dra\vn 
up  by  the  road  which  divided  the  tongue  of  land 
on  the  Mystic  from  the  hill,  to  within  nine  hun- 
dred feet  of  the  rail  fence.  The  object  was  to 
bring  it  on  a  line  with  the  redoubt,  and  to  open  a 
way  for  the  infantry.  It  was  during  this  second 
attack  that  Charlestown  was  set  on  fire.  Proba- 
bly a  double  purpose  was  intended  by  this  act : 
first,  that  the  smoke  might  cover  the  advance  of 
the  enemy,  and  second,  to  dislodge  some  of  the 
provincials,  who  from  the  shelter  of  the  houses 
had  annoyed  the  British  left  wing.  General 
Howe  sent  over  the  order  to  Burgoyne  and  Clin- 
ton to  fire  the  town,  and  the  order  was  fulfilled 
by  carcasses  thrown   from   Copp's   Hill,   which, 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  57 

aided  by  some   marines  who   landed   from   the 
Somerset,  completed  the  work  of  desolation. 

The  Americans  were  prepared  for  the  renewed 
attack.  They  had  orders  to  reserve  their  fire  till 
the  enemy  were  within  six  rods,  and  then  to  take 
deadly  aim.  As  before,  the  shot  of  the  enemy 
was  mostly  ineffectual,  ranging  far  above  the 
heads  of  the  provincials.  Still,  some  of  the  pri- 
vates fell,  and  Colonels  Brewer,  Nixon  and  Buck- 
minster,  and  Major  Moore,  were  wounded,  the 
latter  mortally,  crying  out  in  his  death-thirst  for 
Avater,  which  could  not  be  obtained  nearer  than 
the  Neck,  whither  two  of  his  men  went  to  seek  it. 
The  British  stood,  for  a  time  whose  moments 
were  hours,  the  deadly  discharge  which  was 
poured  upon  them  as  they  passed  the  appointed 
line,  while  whole  ranks  of  officers  and  men  fell 
in  heaps.  General  Howe  stood  in  the  thickest 
of  the  fight,  wrought  up  to  a  desperate  determin- 
ation. For  a  time  he  was  almost  alone,  his  aid- 
de-camps,  and  many  other  officers  of  his  staff, 
lying  wounded  or  dead.  But  though  he  would 
not  lead  a  second  retreat,  he  was  compelled  to 
follow  it,  and  to  hear  the  repeated  shouts  of  vic- 
tory rise  from  the  patriot  band  who  had  weighed 
the  choice  between  death  and  slavery.  Thus 
the  British  were  twice  fairly  and  completely 
driven  from  the  hill.  For  success  up  to  this 
moment,  the  provincials  have  not  had  the  de- 
served acknowledgrnent  in  the  Ensflish   histories. 


58  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

Even  Burke  (if,  as  is  probable,  lie  wrote  the 
account  in  the  Annual  Register)  refers  only  once 
to  the  repulse,  and  then  merely  says  the  regulars 
"  were  thrown  into  some  disorder." 

But  now  the  fortunes  of  the  day  were  to  be 
reversed,  so  far,  and  so  far  only,  as  to  attach  the 
bare  name  of  victory  to  the  side  of  the  foreign 
assailants.  The  provincials  encouraged  them- 
selves with  the  hope  that  the  two  repulses  which 
had  compelled  the  regulars  to  retire  with  such 
stupendous  loss,  would  deter  them  from  a  renewed 
attack.  Some  of  the  British  officers  did  indeed 
remonstrate  against  leading  the  men  to  another 
butchery,  but  their  remonstrance  was  disdainfully 
repelled  by  their  comrades.  During  the  second 
attack,  a  provincial,  with  incautious  loudness  of 
speech,  had  declared  that  the  ammunition  was 
exhausted,  and  he  was  overheard  by  some  of  the 
regulars.  General  Clinton,  who  from  Copp's 
Hill  had  witnessed  the  repeated  repulse  of  his 
Majesty's  troops  with  great  mortification,  took  a 
boat  and  passed  over  as  a  volunteer,  bringing 
with  him  added  reinforcements.  A  new  mode 
of  attack  was  now  determined  upon.  General 
Howe,  having  discovered  that  weak  point,  the 
space  between  the  breastwork  and  the  rail  fence, 
now  led  the  left  wing,  and  resolved  to  apply  the 
main  strength  of  the  assault  against  the  redoubt 
and  the  breastwork,  particularly  to  rake  the  latter 
with  the  artillery  from  the  left,  while  he  disguised 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  59 

this  purpose  by  a  feigned  show  of  force  at  the  rail 
fence.  The  men  now  divested  themselves  of 
their  heavy  knapsacks,  some  of  them  even  of 
their  coats.  They  were  ordered  to  stand  the  fire 
of  the  provincials,  and  then  to  make  a  resolute 
charge  at  the  point  of  the  bayonet.  The  three 
facts  last  mentioned,  viz.,  the  knowledge  of  the 
enemy  that  the  provincials  lacked  ammunition, 
the  encouragement  of  the  presence  of  General 
Clinton,  and  the  discovery  of  the  weak  point  in 
the  works,  may  have  nerved  the  British  to  under- 
take a  third  attack. 

While  these  hostile  preparations  were  in  pro- 
gress, the  little  band  of  devoted  patriots,  exhausted 
almost  to  complete  prostration  by  their  long  and 
unrefreshed  toil  of  the  night,  and  by  the  bloody 
work  of  noon-day,  had  time  to  summon  their 
remaining  energies,  to  resolve  that  the  last  blow 
should  be  the  heaviest,  to  think  upon  the  glory 
of  their  cause  and  the  laurels  they  should  forever 
wear.  The  few  remaining  cartridges  were  dis- 
tributed by  Prescott.  The  small  number  of  men 
whose  muskets  were  furnished  with  bayonets, 
stood  ready  to  repel  the  charge  ;  and  those  who 
were  without  this  defence,  as  well  as  without 
ammunition,  resolved  to  club  their  muskets  and 
wield  their  heavy  stocks,  while  the  ferocity  of 
despair  strung  every  nerve.  Even  the  loose 
stones  of  the  intrenchments  were  gladly  secured 
as  the  last  stay  of  an  unflinching  resolution. 


60  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

A  body  of  reinforcements,  fresh  and  resolute- 
and  provided  with  bayonets,  might  have  forced 
the  regulars  to  a  third  and  final  retreat ;  but,  as 
before  remarked,  unavoidable  confusion  prevailed 
in  the  American  camp.  The  Neck  of  land,  the 
only  line  of  communication,  wore  a  terrible  aspect 
to  raw  recruits,  and  General  Ward  was  without 
staff  officers  to  convey  his  orders.  The  regiments 
which  had  been  stationed  along  the  road  to  wait 
further  commands,  were  overlooked.  Colonel 
Gardner,  though  thus  left  without  orders,  panting 
to  join  the  strife,  led  300  men  to  Bunker's  Hill, 
where  Putnam  first  set  them  upon  intrenching, 
but  soon  urged  them  to  action  at  the  lines.  The 
Colonel  commanded  his  men  to  drop  their  tools 
and  follow.  He  was  leading  them  to  the  post  of 
dangerous  service,  when  he  received  a  mortal 
wound  by  a  musket-ball  in  the  groin.  As  he  was 
borne  off  the  field,  he  commanded  his  men  to 
conquer  or  die.  Deprived  of  their  officer,  but  few 
of  them  engaged  in  the  action.  His  son,  a  5'outh 
of  nineteen,  met  him  on  his  way,  and,  overcome 
with  grief,  sought  to  aid  him,  but  the  father  com- 
manded him  to  march  to  his  duty.  Colonel 
Scammans  remained  on  Cobble  Hill,  but  a  de- 
tachment of  Gerrish's  regiment,  under  their 
Danish  Adjutant,  Ferbiger,  rushed  toAvard  the 
fence.  A  few  of  the  Americans  occupied  two  or 
three  houses  and  barns  on  the  slope  of  Breed's 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  61 

Hill,  and  annoyed,  for  a  time,  the  left  flank  of  the 
enemy. 

The  artillery  of  the  British  effected  its  mur- 
derous purpose,  raking  the  whole  interior  of  the 
breastwork,  driving  its  defenders  into  the  redoubt, 
and  sending  the  balls  there  after  them,  through 
the  open  sally-port.  Lieutenant  Prescott,  a 
nephew  of  the  Colonel,  had  his  arm  disabled, 
and  was  told  by  his  uncle  to  content  himself  with 
encouraging  his  men ;  but,  having  succeeded  in 
loading  his  musket,  he  was  passing  the  sally-port 
to  seek  a  rest  from  which  to  fire  it,  when  he  was 
killed  by  a  cannon-ball.  It  was  evident  that  the 
intrenchments  could  no  longer  be  maintained,  but 
the  resolution  to  yield  them  only  in  the  convul- 
sion of  the  last  eflbrt,  nerved  every  patriot  arm. 

The  British  officers  were  seen  to  goad  on  some 
of  their  reluctant  men  with  their  swords.  It  was 
for  them  now  to  receive  the  fire,  and  to  reserve 
their  own  till  they  could  follow  it  by  a  thrust  of 
the  bayonet.  Each  shot  of  the  provincials  was 
true  to  its  aim.  Colonel  Abercrombie,  Majors 
Williams  and  Spendlove,  fell.  General  Howe 
was  wounded  in  the  foot.  Hand  to  hand,  and 
face  to  face,  were  exchanged  the  last  awful  hos- 
tilities of  that  day.  Only  a  ridge  of  earth  divided 
the  grappling  combatants,  whose  feet  were  slip- 
ping upon  the  gory  sand,  while  they  joined  in 
the  naortal  strife.  When  the  enemy  found  them- 
selves received  with  stones,  the  missiles  of  a 
6 


62  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

more  ancient  warfare,  they  knew  that  their  work 
was  nearly  done,  as  they  now  contended  with 
■unarmed  men.  Young  Richardson,  of  the  Royal 
Irish,  Avas  the  first  who  scaled  the  parapet,  and 
he  fell,  as  did  likewise  the  first  rank  that  mounted 
it,  among  whom  Major  Pitcairn,  who  had  shed 
the  first  blood  at  Lexington,  was  shot  by  a  negro 
soldier.  It  was  only  when  the  redoubt  was 
crowded  with  the  enemy  and  the  defenders  in 
one  promiscuous  throng,  and  assailants  on  all 
sides  were  pouring  into  it,  that  Prescott,  no  less, 
but  even  more  a  hero,  when  he  uttered  the  reluc- 
tant word,  ordered  a  retreat.  A  longer  trial 
would  have  been  folly,  not  courage.  Some  of 
the  men  had  splintered  their  musket-stocks  in 
fierce  blows,  nearly  all  were  defenceless,  yet  was 
there  that  left  within  them,  in  a  dauntless  soul, 
which  might  still  help  their  country  at  its  need. 
Prescott  gave  the  crowning  proof  of  his  devoted 
and  magnanimous  spirit,  when  he  cooled  the  heat 
of  his  own  brain,  and  bore  the  bitter  pang  in  his 
own  heart,  by  commanding  an  orderly,  and  still 
resisting  retreat.  He  was  the  hero  of  that  blood- 
dyed  summit, — the  midnight  leader  and  guard, 
the  morning  sentinel,  the  orator  of  the  opening 
strife,  the  cool  and  deliberate  overseer  of  the 
whole  struggle,  the  well-skilled  marksman  of  the 
exact  distance  at  which  a  shot  was  certain  death : 
he  was  the  venerable  chief  in  whose  bright  eye 
and  steady  nerve  all   read  their  duty ;  and  when 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  brf 

conduct,  skill,  and  courage  could  do  no  more,  he 
was  the  merciful  deliverer  of  the  remnant.  Pres- 
cott  was  the  hero  of  the  day,  and  wherever  its 
tale  is  told,  let  him  be  its  chieftain. 

The  troops  in  the  redoubt  now  fought  their 
pathway  through  the  encircling  enemy,  turning 
their  faces  towards  the  foe,  while  they  retreated 
with  backward  steps.  Gridley,  who  had  planned 
and  defended  the  works,  received  a  wound,  and 
was  borne  ofT.  Warren  was  among  the  last  to 
leave  the  redoubt,  and  at  a  short  distance  from  it, 
a  musket-ball  through  his  head  killed  him  in- 
stantly. When  the  corpse  of  that  illustrious 
patriot  was  recognised  and  identified  the  next 
morning  by  Dr.  Jefiries,  General  Howe  thought 
that  this  one  victim  well  repaid  the  loss  of  num- 
bers of  his  mercenaries.  It  is  not  strange  that, 
both  in  English  and  American  narratives  of  that 
day,  and  in  some  subsequent  notices  of  it,  Warren 
should  have  been  represented  as  the  commander 
of  the  provincial  forces.  His  influence  and  his 
patriotism  were  equally  well  known  to  friend  and 
foe.  There  is  no  more  delicate  task  than  to 
divide  among  many  heroes  the  honors  of  a  battle- 
field, and  the  rewards  of  devoted  service.  Yet 
the  high-minded  will  always  appreciate  the  integ- 
rity of  the  motive  which  seeks  to  distinguish 
between  the  places  and  the  modes  of  service, 
where  those  who  alike  love  their  country  enjoy 
the  opportunity  of  securing  the  laurels  of  heroism 


64  BATTLE    OF    BtJNKER    HILL. 

and  devotion.  The  council-chamber  and  the 
forum,  and  the  high  place  in  the  public  assembly, 
offer  to  the  patriot-statesman  the  opportunity  for 
winning  remembrance  and  honor  to  his  name  ; 
the  battle-field  must  retain  the  same  high  privi- 
lege for  the  patriot-soldier,  for  there  alone  can  he 
earn  the  wreath.  Let  the  chivalry  and  the  mag- 
nanimity of  Warren  forever  fill  a  brilliant  page  in 
our  history,  but  let  not  a  partial  homage  attach  to 
him  the  honor  to  which  another  has  a  rightful 
claim.  It  was  no  part  of  his  pure  purpose,  in 
mingling  with  his  brethren  on  that  field,  to  mo- 
nopolize its  honors,  and  to  figure  as  its  hero.  It 
is  enough  that  he  stood  among  equals  in  devo- 
tion and  patriotism.  Here,  then,  is  his  claim, 
which,  when  fully  allowed,  leaves  the  honors  of 
that  summit  to  the  leader  of  the  heroic  band. 

And  while  such  was  the  issue  at  the  redoubt, 
the  left  wing,  at  the  rail  fence,- aided  by  some 
reinforcements  which  had  arrived  too  late,  was 
making  a  vigorous  stand  at  their  defences.  But 
the  retreat  at  the  redoubt  compelled  the  resolute 
defenders  to  yield  with  slow  and  reluctant  steps, 
as  their  flank  was  opened  to  the  enemy.  Putnam 
pleaded  and  cursed;  he  commanded  and  implored 
the  scattering  bands  to  rally,  and  he  swore  that 
he  would  win  them  the  victory.  For  his  foul 
profanity  he  made  a  sincere  confession  before 
the  church  and  congregation  of  which  he  was  a 
member,  after  the  war. 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  65 

Pomeroy  likewise  implored  the  men  to  rallj', 
but  in  vain.  The  last  resistance  at  the  rail  fence 
restrained  the  enemy  from  cutting  off  the  retreat 
of  the  provincials.  Yet  the  enemy  were  in  no 
condition  to  pursue,  as  they  were  alike  exhausted, 
and  were  content  with  the  little  patch  of  ground 
which  they  had  so  dearly  purchased.  The  pro- 
vincials retreated  to  Cambridge  by  the  Neck,  and 
by  the  Winter  Hill  road,  taking  with  them  only 
one  of  the  six  pieces  of  artillery  which  they  had 
brought  to  the  field.  The  battle  had  occupied 
about  two  hours,  the  provincials  retreating  just 
before  five  o'clock.  The  British  lay  on  their 
arms  at  Bunker  Hill  all  night,  discharging  their 
pieces  against  the  Americans  who  were  safely 
encamped  upon  Prospect  Hill,  at  the  distance  of 
a  mile. 

Prescott  repaired  to  head-quarters  to  make 
return  of  his  trust.  He  was  indignant  at  the  loss 
of  the  battle,  and  implored  General  Ward  to  com- 
mit to  him  thi'ee  fresh  regiments,  promising  with 
them  to  win  back  the  day.  But  he  had  already 
honorably  accomplished  all  that  his  country  might 
demand.  He  complained  bitterly  that  the  rein- 
forcements, which  might  have  given  to  his  tri- 
umph the  completeness  that  was  needed  to  make 
it  a  victory,  had  failed  him.  A  year  afterwards, 
when  he  was  in  the  American  camp  at  New 
York,  he  was  informed  how  narrowly  he  had 
escaped  with  life.  A  British  sergeant,  who  was 
6* 


66  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL, 

brought  into  the  camp,  on  meeting  with  Prescott 
there,  called  him  by  name.  Prescott  inquired 
how  or  where  he  had  known  him.  The  man 
replied  that  he  knew  him  well,  and  that  his 
acquaintance  began  at  the  battle  in  Charlestowii. 
Prescott  had  there  been  pointed  out  to  him  as  the 
commander,  and  in  the  first  two  attacks,  he  had 
singled  him  out  and  taken  a  deliberate  aim. 
Though  his  position  at  each  time  was  so  favor- 
able as  to  convince  him  the  shot  would  be  fatal, 
yet  Prescott  had  been  unharmed.  On  the  third 
attack,  impelled  by  the  same  purpose,  he  had 
charged  the  commander  at  the  point  of  the 
bayonet,  but  the  strong  arm  and  the  sword  of 
Prescott  thrust  aside  the  weapon,  and  the  baf- 
fled sergeant  concluded  him  to  be  invulnerable. 
Prescott  kindly  presented  the  poor  soldier  with 
a  gift  of  charity  to  relieve  his  disappointment. 
The  pierced  garments  of  the  hero,  preserved  in 
his  family,  bear  witness  to  the  repeated  efforts  of 
his  foe. 

The  number  of  our  troops  in  the  action,  includ- 
ing the  occasional  reinforcements,  and  those  who 
came  only  to  cover  the  retreat,  did  not  exceed,  if 
it  reached,  3,000.  Of  these,  115  were  killed  and 
missing,  305  were  wounded,  and  30  were  taken 
prisoners ;  making  our  whole  loss  450.  Pres- 
cott's  regiment  suffered  most  severely. 

The  whole  British  loss  was  rated  by  the  Pro- 
vincial Congress,  on  their    best  information,  at 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  67 

1500,  but  Gage  acknowledged  only  1054,  in- 
cluding 89  officers;  226  being  killed,  and  828 
wounded. 

Loud  and  agonizing  Avas  the  mourning  in 
Boston,  when  the  wounded  were  committed  to 
the  crowded  hospitals ;  and  the  sympathies  of 
the  inhabitants  were  demanded  alike  for  friends 
and  foes. 

But  though  the  sword  was  lifted  against  our 
fathers  by  their  own  brethren,  and  in  a  cause 
which  we  must  pronounce  to  have  been  unright- 
eous and  tyrannical,  we  feel  impelled  to  pay  a 
just  tribute  to  the  bravery  and  gallantry  of  the 
British  officers  and  soldiers  upon  the  field.  To 
march  boldly  forward,  as  they  did  thrice,  and 
bare  their  bosoms  to  the  weapons  of  desperate 
men,  was  a  trial  of  their  spirit  which  allows  us  to 
withhold  from  them  no  praise  or  glory  which  we 
give  to  our  fathers,  save  that  which  belongs  to  our 
fathers  as  the  champions  of  the  better  cause.  The 
highest  honor  we  can  bestow  upon  the  heroism 
of  the  enemy,  is,  in  regretting  that  the  king  and 
his  ministers  found  such  devoted  servants. 

It  is  not  strange  that  confusion  and  disorder 
should  have  attended  the  proceedings  of  the  pro- 
vincials on  that  dreadful  day.  Their  m.easures 
were  hastily  concerted  in  anticipation  of  the  occu- 
pancy of  the  Heights  by  the  British ;  there  was 
no  time  to  plan,  no  opportunity  to  deliberate. 
The    Provincial   Congress   was   then   sitting    at 


68  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

Watertown,  though  its  President,  Dr.  Warren, 
who  was  also  Chairman  of  the  Executive  Com- 
mittee of  Safety,  Avas  in  the  scene  of  strife. 
General  Ward's  Orderly  Book  does  not  contain 
any  reference  to  the  action  of  the  day.  The 
reasonable  expectation  and  fear  that  the  British 
would  make  an  attack  at  some  other  quarter, 
may  explain  the  apparent  remissness  of  the 
American  leaders,  in  not  concentrating  all  their 
force  upon  the  action  in  Charlestown.  The 
severe  bombardment  of  Roxbury,  and  anxiety  for 
the  stores  at  Watertown,  very  naturally  divided 
their  attention.  It  seems  likewise  to  have  been 
difficult,  even  some  days  after  the  battle,  to  learn 
with  exactness  the  chief  particulars  concerning  it. 
The  account  in  Edes'  Gazette,  which  was  printed 
at  Watertown  on  the  following  Monday,  is  very 
meagre.  Indeed,  it  would  appear,  that  the  death 
of  Warren  was  not  then  known  for  certain. 
Among  the  resolutions  of  the  Provincial  Congress 
on  Monday,  the  19th,  we  read  the  following: 
"Resolved,  That  three  o'clock,  P.  M.,  be  assigned 
for  the  choice  of  a  President  of  this  Congress,  in 
the  room  of  the  Hon.  Joseph  Warren,  Esq.,  sup- 
posed to  be  killed  in  the  late  battle  of  Bunker 
Hill." 

In  a  letter  from  J.  Pitts,  dated,  Watertown, 
July  20,  1775,  and  addressed  to  Samuel  Adams, 
at  Philadelphia,  we  read  the  following :  "  I  find 
the  letters  in  general  from  you  and  the  rest  of 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  69 

our  friends,  complain  of  not  having  particular  in- 
formation relative  to  the  late  battle  of  Charlestovi?n. 
I  do  assure  you,  the  particulars,  any  further  than 
what  I  have  already  wrote  you,  I  have  not  been 
able  to  obtain  from  any  one.  To  be  plain,  it 
appears  to  me,  there  never  was  more  confusion 
and  less  command.  No  one  appeared  to  have  any 
but  Colonel  Prescott,  whose  bravery  can  never  be 
enough  acknowledged  and  applauded.  General 
Putnam  was  employed  in  collecting  the  men,  but 
there  were  not  officers  enough  to  lead  them  on." 

More  evidences  of  this  confusion  that  attended 
the  operations  of  the  day,  will  present  themselves 
to  the  reader  of  the  Documents  which  form  a  part 
of  this  volume.  He  will  find  them  to  abound  in 
discrepancies  of  statement,  which,  however,  will, 
for  the  most  part,  correct  and  harmonize  each 
other.  One  writer,  for  instance,  says  that  it  was 
known  by  the  British  on  the  night  of  the  16th, 
that  the  Americans  were  at  work  on  the  Heights. 
Of  this  statement  there  is  no  proof,  nor  is  it  prob- 
able ;  yet  it  may  have  been  that  a  vague  report 
of  the  intention  of  the  Americans  had  reached 
Boston.  Another  writer  says  that  the  American 
force  amounted  to  nine  thousand.  Probably  he 
intended  in  this  estimate  to  include  all  the  pro- 
vincials who  were  then  under  arms  at  Cambridge 
and  Roxbury,  as  well  as  those  at  Charlestown. 

The  conflagration  of  the  town  of  Charlestown 
must  have   iningled  wild  and  fearful   spectacles 


70  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

with  the  awful  scene  of  blood.  The  order  for  the 
incendiary  measure  was  sent  over  by  boat  to  the 
generals  on  Copp's  Hill,  on  account  of  the  annoy- 
ing fire  which  the  Americans,  concealed  in  the 
dwellings,  poured  in  upon  the  left  wing  of  the 
British.  The  town  then  contained  289  dwelling- 
houses,  and  its  population,  of  375  families,  num- 
bered rather  more  than  2,000  souls.  Of  course, 
many  of  its  inhabitants,  especially  the  women 
and  children,  had  been  removed  from  the  town 
during  the  night  and  on  the  morning  of  the  battle. 
Householders  were  busily  engaged  in  removing 
their  effects.  Many  valuable  articles  were  buried 
in  the  fields,  gardens,  and  cellars,  most  of  which, 
however,  were  discovered  by  the  British  in  their 
long  occupation  of  the  peninsula,  though  some  of 
the  treasures  of  crockery  and  furniture  which  were 
here  interred,  found  a  safe  concealment  till  after 
the  evacuation  of  Boston,  and  are  still  cherished 
as  honored  relics  by  the  descendants  of  their 
owners.  Many  of  the  householders  and  traders 
of  Boston,  who  had  removed  their  effects  to 
Charlestown  on  the  commencement  of  hostilities, 
likev/ise  lost  their  all.  The  newspapers  of  the 
time  abound  in  advertisements  of  losses  and 
thefts.  Dr.  Mather's  library  was  consumed  in 
the  conflagration.  The  American  prisoners  suf- 
fered great  hardships.  They  were  confined  in 
the  jail  in  Boston,  during  the  siege,  where  several 
of  them  perished.     The  survivors  were  taken  to 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL  71 

Halifax  by  the  British  on  their  departure.  Some 
few  of  them,  after  incredible  trials,  succeeded  in 
making  their  escape,  and  returning  to  their  homes 
one  by  one,  told  their  moving  tales.  It  was  not, 
however,  until  after  the  peace,  that  the  remnant 
was  restored. 

Such  is  but  a  faint  delineation  of  the  action 
which  has  associated  so  great  a  degree  of  interest 
with  the  Heights  of  Charlestown.  The  intrench- 
ing and  the  defence  of  Breed's  Hill  may  be 
described  as  the  most  important  incident  in  the 
war  of  the  Am.erican  Revolution.  The  whole 
protracted  struggle  was  decisively  influenced  by 
this  its  opening  contest.  The  battle  was  fought  by 
the  provincials  in  earnest,  with  determined  spirit, 
with  proud  success,  though  not  with  the  name  of 
victory,  and  therefore  it  gave  the  impulse  of  a 
good  beginning  to  the  whole  conduct  of  the  war. 
Its  results  will  attest  its  importance. 

The  battle  accomplished  what  in  all  cases  of 
strife  and  discord  is  attended  with  protracted 
difficulties  :  it  distinguished  the  two  contending 
parties,  and  brought  them  to  an  issue.  There 
were  then  several  links  of  union  between  England 
and  the  Colonies,  formed  by  the  various  orders, 
classes,  and  coteries,  then  gathered  in  this  neigh- 
borhood, and  by  their  diverse  opinions.  Some 
of  the  most  Avorthy  and  disinterested  inhabitants 
of  the  provinces,  and  some  of  the  British  officers, 
engaged  with  extreme  reluctance  in  the  hostil- 


9S  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER.    HILL. 

ities.  We  had  among  us  not  only  tones  and 
republicans,  the  extremes  of  party,  but  also  timid 
and  cautious  timeservers  and  hesitants,  and  at- 
tached friends  to  the  restricted  exercise  of  royal 
authority.  There  were  moderate  and  immoderate 
men  of  both  parties ;  neutral  and  lukewarm 
doubters  of  no  party.  While  reading  the  jounals 
of  that  day,  we  can  readily  imagine  the  thousand 
social  ties  and  domestic  relations,  the  civilities  of 
neighborhood,  and  the  common  interest  in  the 
land  across  the  water,  which  might  well  render  it 
difficult  for  the  provincials  to  make  the  last  appeal 
to  blood.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  affair  at  Lex- 
ington, it  is  probable  that  matters  might  have 
remained  quiet  for  some  time  longer,  and  that 
the  colonists  would  have  wasted  many  more 
words  of  petition  upon  the  ministry.  Even  after 
that  battle,  had  the  ministry  expressed  ia  strong 
terms  their  disapprobation  of  Gage's  measure, 
and  adopted  a  conciliatory  tone,  the  war  might 
have  been  then  averted.  But  the  affair  of  the 
17th  June  at  once  put  a  stop  to  any  further  halt- 
ing between  two  opinions. 

Again,  that  action  was  of  primary  importance 
from  the  influence  which  it  exercised  upon  our 
fathers,  who,  unknown  to  themselves,  had  before 
them  a  war  of  protracted  length,  partaking  largely 
of  reverse  and  discouragement.  They  learned 
this  day  what  they  might  do  in  the  confidence 
that  God  was  on   their  side,  and  that  their  cause 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HLLL.  1/3 

was  good.  That  work  of  a  summer's  night  was 
worth  its  price  to  them.  They  lacked  discipline, 
artillery,  bayonets,  powder  and  ball,  food,  and, — 
the  greatest  want  of  all, — they  lacked  the  deli- 
cious draught  of  pure,  cool  water  for  their  labor- 
worn  and  heat-exhausted  frames.  They  found 
that  desperation  would  supply  the  place  of  disci- 
pline ;  that  the  stock  of  a  musket,  wielded  with 
true  nerves,  would  deal  a  blow  as  deadly  as  the 
thrust  of  a  bayonet ;  and  that  a  heavy  stone 
might  level  an  assailant  as  well  as  a  charge  of 
powder.  As  for  food  and  water,  the  hunger  they 
were  compelled  to  bear  unrelieved,  and  they 
cooled  their  brows  only  by  the  thick,  heavy  drops 
which  poured  before  the  sun.  Yet  it  was  their 
opening  combat,  and  proudly  did  they  bear  away 
its  laurels,  even  upon  their  backs,  which  the 
failure  of  ammunition  and  of  reinforcements  com- 
pelled them  to  turn  to  the  enemy.  Yes,  they  did 
show  their  backs  once  to  those  whose  backs  they 
had  already  seen  twice  ;  and  if  they  retreated 
once,  it  was  only  that  they  might  save  their  faces 
for  later  and  bolder  opportunities  of  confronting 
the  foe.  It  was  their  opening  combat,  and  it 
decided  the  spirit  and  the  hope  of  all  their  subse- 
quent campaigns.  They  had  freed  themselves 
during  the  engagement  from  all  that  natural  reluc- 
tance which  they  had  heretofore  felt  in  turning 
their  offensive  weapons  against  the  breasts  of 
former  friends,  yes,  even  of  kinsmen.  On  that 
7 


74  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

eminence,  the  first  bright  image  of  Liberty,  of  a 
free  native  land,  kindled  the  eyes  of  those  who 
were  expiring  in  their  gore,  and  the  image  passed 
between  the  living  and  the  dying  to  seal  the  cov- 
enant, that  the  hope  of  the  one,  or  the  fate  of  the 
other,  should  unite  them  here  or  hereafter.  It 
was  the  report  of  that  battle,  which,  transmitted 
by  swift  couriers  over  the  length  and  breadth  of 
the  continent,  would  everywhere  prepare  the 
spirit  to  follow  it  up  with  determined  resistance 
to  every  future  act  of  aggression.  How  can  we 
exaggerate  the  relative  importance  of  this  day's 
action  ?  Did  it  not  in  fact  open  the  contest, 
dividing  into  two  parties,  not  only  those  deter- 
mined for  the  ministry  or  the  colony,  but  likewise 
all  timid,  hesitating,  reluctant  neutrals  ?  It  was 
difficult  after  this  to  avoid  taking  sides.  Did  it 
not  at  once  render  all  reconciliation  impossible, 
till  it  should  offer  itself  in  company  with  justice 
and  liberty  ?  Did  it  not  echo  the  gathering  cry 
which  brought  together  our  people  from  their 
farms  and  workshops,  to  learn  the  art  of  war,  that 
terrible  art,  which  grows  more  merciful  only  as  it 
is  the  more  skilfully  pursued  ?  This  day,  then, 
needs  no  rhetoric  to  magnify  it  in  our  revolu- 
tionary annals.  After  its  sun  went  down,  the 
provincials  parted  with  all  fear,  hesitation,  and 
reluctance.  They  found  that  it  was  easier  to 
fight ;  the  awful  roar  of  the  death-dealing  arrts 
associated   itself  in   their   minds  with   all   their 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  75 

wrongs,  and  all  their  hopes,  and  with  the  sweet 
word  of  liberty.  The  pen  with  which  petitions 
were  written  had  been  found  to  be  powerless : 
words  of  remonstrance  left  no  impression  upon 
the  air.  There  was  but  one  resource.  From  the 
village  homes  and  farm-houses  around,  amid  the 
encouraging  exhortations,  as  well  as  the  tearful 
prayers  of  their  families,  the  yeomen  took  from 
their  chimney-stacks  the  familiar  and  well-proved 
weapons  of  a  life  in  the  woods,  and  felt,  for  the 
first  time,  what  it  was  to  have  a  country,  and 
resolved  for  the  first  time  that  they  would  save 
their  country  or  be  mourned  by  her. 

And  if  further  evidence  be  needed  in  support 
of  the  high  importance  attached  to  this  day's 
conflict,  refer  to  the  effect  which  the  announce- 
ment of  it  produced  in  Great  Britain,  upon  the 
ministry  and  the  people.  One  fact  painfully 
evident  to  the  student  of  our  revolutionary  history, 
is,  that  the  war  was  commenced  by  the  ministry, 
and  allowed  by  the  people,  under  the  grossest 
misapprehension  of  the  character  and  courage  of 
the  inhabitants  of  this  province.  Parliament  was 
in  a  state  of  perfect  infatuation  when  it  gave  ear 
to  the  speeches  that  advised  the  measures  of  the 
ministry,  and  represented  the  enforcing  of  them 
as  so  easy  a  work.  For  though  Parliament  had 
been  warned  by  all  the  local  information  of  our 
former  Governor,  Pownall,  by  the  philosophy  of 
Burke,  and  the  tender  appeals  of  Lord  Chatham, 


76  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

that  conciliatory  measures  would  be  the  only 
efficient  measures,  there  was  either  stupidity,  fol- 
ly or  madness  in  the  self-conceited  persuasion, 
that  a  race  of  men  who  had  left  their  native 
country  to  escape  oppression,  would  consent  to  be 
oppressed  in  a  new  country,  redeemed  by  them 
from  a  wilderness,  made  habitable  by  virtuous 
toil,  and  endeared  as  always  free.  The  last 
three  English  governors  of  this  province,  and 
the  ministry  at  home,  have  represented  the  Amer- 
ican people  as  wholly  under  the  control  of  a  few 
ambitious  leaders,  demagogues  or  revolutionists, 
who,  by  exciting  speeches,  spread  enthusiasm 
among  the  multitude,  cajoling  and  flattering  them 
with  the  enticing  word, — liberty.  It  was  alleged 
in  Parliament  that  the  people  would  succumb, 
if  their  leaders  could  be  silenced.  This  battle 
proved  that  a  people  who  showed  such  a  spirit, 
must  be  capable  of  originating  some  enthusiasm 
in  themselves,  as  well  as  of  being  cajoled  into  it 
by  others.  They  had  been  represented  as  cow- 
ards, who  dared  to  fire  a  musket  only  at  a  long 
distance,  and  from  behind  a  protection ;  and  the 
people  of  England  had  been  promised  that  one 
regiment  of  the  king's  troops  should  sweep  the 
provincials  off  the  continent.  But  after  this  battle 
the  probability  of  such  a  result  was  reduced  to 
this  simple  rule  of  three :  if  so  many  of  his 
Majesty's  regiments  were  necessary  to  secure  the 
square  feet  of  ground  occupied  by  Charlestown 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL,  77 

peninsula,  how  many  would  be  needed  to  sweep 
the  continent  ? 

The  people  of  England  were  instructed  by  this 
day's  news  to  estimate  the  bravery,  the  union, 
the  determined  purpose  of  the  colonists.  It  was 
greatly  in  favor  of  our  cause,  that  the  unpopu- 
larity of  the  war  among  the  mercantile  classes  of 
England,  should  be  increased  by  such  a  repre- 
sentation of  its  progress,  as  would  induce  the 
pride  of  the  British  to  listen  at  last  to  prudence. 
While  the  ministry  flattered  the  people  with 
fables  about  the  pusillanimity  and  poverty  of  the 
colonists,  and  called  for  new  resources  against 
them,  promising  that  each  demand  should  be  the 
last,  only  the  report  of  such  poor  success  as  at- 
tended their  hostilities  upon  this  peninsula,  could 
open  the  eyes  of  the  British  nation  to  the  hope- 
lessness of  their  measures. 

The  account  of  the  battle  transmitted  by  Gen- 
eral Gage,  accompanied,  of  course,  by  numerous 
private  letters,  was  received  in  London,  July  25th- 
The  General  estimated  his  loss  at  226  killed,  and 
628  wounded.  The  ministry  were  dismayed,  and 
for  a  time  kept  back  the  official  announcement 
from  the  Gazette.  It  was  known,  however,  that 
government  despatches  had  been  received,  and  in 
order  to  draw  forth  their  contents,  some  ingenious 
persons  wrote  from  their  imaginations  what  pur- 
ported to  be  an  account  of  the  battle,  and  pub- 
lished it  in  the  newspapers.  By  this  fictitious 
7* 


78  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

Statement,  the  regulars  were  said  to  have  been 
defeated  with  great  slaughter.  Thus  the  admin- 
istration were  obliged  to  prepare  their  own  state- 
ment for  the  Gazette,  as  soon  as  possible.  Even 
with  a  favorable  garb  thrown  around  its  announce- 
ment, the  official  account  shocked  and  alarmed 
the  people.  They  waited  with  the  utmost  anxiety 
for  the  representation  which  the  provincials  might 
give  of  the  battle,  and  to  hear  the  measures  of 
the  Congress.  They  changed  their  opinion  of 
the  colonists  when  they  found  that  one  square 
mile  of  our  territory  had  cost  them  more  than  a 
thousand  men.  As  the  news  of  the  engagement 
circulated  in  England,  it  called  out  popular  ex- 
pressions which  exhibited  the  general  dissatisfac- 
tion with  the  war.  The  official  publications  were 
made  up  from  the  accounts  of  Gage,  Howe,  and 
Burgoyne  ;  they  were  replied  to,  even  in  London, 
with  cutting  sarcasm.  The  report  in  London 
was,  that  General  Gage  was  ordered  not  to  haz- 
ard another  engagement  till  he  was  reinforced, 
though  it  was  doubted  whether  the  provincials 
would  leave  this  at  his  option ;  that  he  was 
ordered  to  depart  from  Boston,  after  burning  it, 
and  to  fortify  himself  upon  Rhode  Island,  whence 
he  might  make  descents  upon  the  coast ;  and  that 
1000  stand  of  arms  and  1000  Highlanders  had 
been  sent  to  Quebec.  So  high  did  sympathy  for 
the  colonists  rise  in  England,  that,  on  the  23d  of 
August,  the  king  issued  a  proclamation  against 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  79 

all  in  his  realms  who  should  aid,  correspond  with, 
or  favor  the  rebels.  It  was  found  that  the  reve- 
nue, so  unblushingly  promised  in  Parliament,  was 
to  require  a  large  outlay  for  its  collection  in  the 
colonies.  Instead  of  receiving  taxes  from  hence, 
they  were  obliged  to  send  regiments  of  their  own 
subjects,  with  foreign  mercenaries,  and  coals, 
fagots,  vinegar,  porter,  hay,  vegetables,  sheep, 
oxen,  horses,  clothing, — to  say  nothing  of  muni- 
tions of  war, — across  3000  miles  of  water,  and 
even  then,  to  anticipate,  as  the  result  proved, 
with  good  reason,  that  some  of  their  richest  trans- 
ports would  fall  into  the  hands  of  these  reluctant 
tax-payers.  Some  of  the  Highlanders  who  were 
induced  to  enlist  by  the  representations  of  recruit- 
ing sergeants,  were  told  that  they  were  to  take 
possession  of  some  vacant  farms  in  this  country, 
the  owners  of  which  had  been  driven  into  the 
interior.  They  even  received  certificates  that 
when  the  rebellion  here  was  subdued,  each  of 
them  should  have  a  clear  title  to  two  hundred 
acres  of  land  for  himself,  and  fifty  acres  in  addi- 
tion for  each  member  of  his  family. 

By  a  resolution  of  the  Provincial  Congress  at 
Watertown,  July  7th,  the  Committee  of  Safety 
prepared  an  account  of  the  engagement  on  the 
17th  June,  to  be  transmitted  to  Great  Britain,  for 
the  sake  of  counteracting  the  influence  of  any 
misrepresentations  on  the  part  of  General  Gage. 
The   account  was   dated   July  25,  and   sent   to 


80  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

Arthur  Lee,  at  London,  who  caused  it  to  be  pub- 
lished in  the  papers.  But  the  sympathies  and 
complaints  of  the  English  people  were  not  left  to 
be  excited  merely  by  documents  sent  from  this 
side  of  the  water,  and  answered  by  well-freighted 
transports  from  Britain.  The  people  were  made 
to  witness  some  melancholy  results  of  the  battle, 
which  brought  its  pictures  of  sorrow  to  their  own 
doors.  On  September  14th,  a  transport,  (the 
Charming  Nancy,)  arrived  at  Plymouth,  having 
left  Boston,  August  20th.  On  board  were  General 
Gage's  lady,  and  170  sick  and  wounded  officers  and 
soldiers,  with  60  widows  and  children  of  the  slain. 
The  stench  of  the  vessel  was  intolerable,  but  the 
condition  of  its  human  cargo  was  awful.  Maimed 
and  helpless,  ragged  and  pined  with  sickness, — 
many  of  them  hundreds  of  miles  from  their  home 
in  Ireland, — the  sufferers,  as  they  were  landed 
and  begged  for  charity  in  the  streets,  presented  a 
most  deplorable  and  wretched  tale  of  the  unnatural 
strife.  Two  more  vessels,  with  similar  cargoes, 
which  left  Boston  at  the  same  time,  were  daily 
expected,  and  more  were  on  their  way.  Thus 
was  Boston  relieved  of  a  part  of  its  helpless  vic- 
tims, and  thus  were  the  people  of  England  most 
piteously  besought  to  spare  the  blood  of  their  own 
kinsfolk,  rather  than  to  make  so  fearful  a  sacrifice 
to  national  pride,  to  lust  of  dominion,  and  to  the 
wealth  expected  from  the  taxation  of  the  colonies. 
Nor  did  the  conduct  of  the  battle,  on  the  part 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  81 

of  the  British  generals,  escape  severe  scrutiny 
and  censure.  Plans  were  stated,  and  alternatives 
imagined,  by  which  they  might  have  secured  a 
nearly  bloodless  victory.  These  complaints  were 
made  with  good  reason.  A  ship  of  war,  some 
floating  batteries,  or  the  Cymetry  transport,  which 
drew  but  little  water,  might  have  been  towed  into 
Mystic  river,  and  lying  water-borne  at  low  tide, 
(for  during  the  heat  of  the  strife  the  water  was  at 
ebb,)  would  have  been  within  musket-shot  of  our 
left  flank,  and  have  rendered  the  rail  fence  use- 
less. The  regulars  might  have  landed  in  the 
rear  of  the  provincials,  and  thus  have  surrounded 
them,  have  incapacitated  the  breastwork,  cut  off 
a  retreat,  and  occupied  Bunker's  Hill.  Or,  sup- 
posing it  was  most  in  accordance  with  military 
rule  and  prudence  that  they  should  have  landed 
as  they  did,  in  front,  they  should  not  have  ad- 
vanced in  an  extended  line,  firing  at  intervals, 
but,  formed  into  columns,  should  have  rushed 
forward,  reserving  their  fire  for  the  redoubt,  and 
charging  with  the  bayonet.  Their  first  two 
attacks  were  disastrous  to  themselves,  but  harm- 
less to  the  provincials.  The  simple  truth  seems 
to  be,  that  the  regular  officers  had  a  most  despi- 
cable opinion  of  the  provincials,  and  thought  that 
the  smell  of  powder,  the  glancing  of  bright  bay- 
onets, and  a  well  deployed  line,  would  frighten 
them  into  flight.  They  were  grievously  mistaken. 
But,  after  all,  when   the   dear-won  victory  was 


82  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

theirs,  why  did  they  not  pursue  to  Cambridge, 
under  cover  of  their  own  ships,  especially  as, 
towards  and  after  the  close  of  the  battle,  Charles- 
town  was  filled  with  British  troops  who  were 
hurrying  over  from  Boston  ? 

Another  result  attending  the  news  of  the  battle 
in  England,  was  the  immediate  recall  of  General 
Gage.  Just  before  the  arrival  of  the  news,  de- 
spatches had  been  prepared,  yet  not  transmitted 
to  him,  in  which  his  future  operations  were 
directed.  But  these  despatches,  when  sent,  were 
accompanied  by  another,  in  which  he  was  directed 
to  give  them  to  General  Howe,  who  was  to  suc- 
ceed him  in  the  command,  and  in  which  he  was 
advised  that  it  was  his  Majesty's  pleasure  that  he 
should  immediately  return  to  give  information 
and  counsel  at  home.  It  is  likewise  a  remark- 
able, but  a  very  manifest  fact,  that  the  disastrous 
character  of  this  battle,  the  desperate  courage  of 
the  provincials,  and  the  hopeless  aspect  which 
the  designs  of  the  ministry  began  in  consequence 
to  wear,  completely  unmanned  General  Howe, 
deprived  him  of  all  energy  in  the  conduct  of  the 
war,  and  entailed  upon  him  disgrace. 

Such  were  the  effects  produced  by  this  battle 
upon  our  enemies.  They  might  be  indefinitely 
enlarged  upon,  traced  out  in  British  petitions  and 
addresses  to  the  throne,  in  public  opposition 
meetings  held  throughout  the  kingdom,  in  the 
reluctance  of  the  soldiers  to  enlist  in  that  cause, 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  83 

and  the  high  bounty  promised  to  their  services, 
and  especially  in  the  increasing  number  of  the 
avowed  and  secret  friends  of  the  colonies  in 
England. 

While  such  were  the  results  of  the  battle  on 
the  other  side  of  the  water,  its  effects  upon  our 
own  army  and  cause  contribute  to  magnify  its 
importance.  We  might  trace  out  the  influence  of 
that  battle  through  the  whole  war,  might  refer 
to  the  spirit  and  determination  and  self-respect 
which  it  infused  into  the  provincials.  We  might 
find  in  every  subsequent  engagement  of  the  war 
some  individuals  who  had  learned  their  military 
elements  on  June  17th.  But  we  will  confine  our- 
selves to  a  statement  of  its  immediate  results  which 
were  favorable  to  our  cause.  Many  of  our  offi- 
cers had  received  their  commissions  from  Great 
Britain,  and  were  in  the  receipt  of  half-pay  at  the 
time  of  the  battle,  which  they  of  course  resigned. 

The  British  took  possession  of,  and  strongly 
fortified  Bunker  and  Breed's  Hills,  and  posted 
their  advanced  guards  upon  the  Neck.  This 
division  of  their  forces  between  the  two  penin- 
sulas was  in  one  point  of  view  advantageous  to 
them,  as  it  enlarged  their  quarters  at  a  season  of 
the  year  when  Boston,  crowded  as  it  was,  and 
made  unwholesome  by  impure  air,  seemed  as  one 
large  hospital.  The  cool  heights  of  Charlestown 
were  a  refreshing  refuge ;  yet  they  were  com- 
pelled to  a  great  increase  of  their  labor  in  defend- 


84  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

ing  their  works  against  an  enemy  so  near  to  them, 
who  insulted  and  vexed  them,  and  made  them 
feel  the  degradation  of  their  position.  During  the 
ensuing  inclement  winter,  the  troops  in  Charles- 
town  were  obliged  to  live  in  tents,  and  were 
exposed  to  great  sufferings  and  to  driving  snow- 
storms. Neither  did  the  possession  of  Charles- 
town  give  the  enemy  any  facility  in  obtaining 
supplies  of  fresh  provisions,  in  which  the  country 
abounded,  but  of  which  they  had  enjoyed  little,  if 
any,  after  the  battle  of  Lexington.  In  this  re- 
spect, their  condition  was  trying  in  the  extreme. 
They  could  procure  no  fresh  meat,  vegetables, 
milk,  or  fuel,  save  what  came  in  by  water.  The 
provincials  took  the  live  stock  and  the  hay  off  the 
harbor  islands,  and  intercepted  many  of  the  ves- 
sels entering  with  supplies.  In  a  letter  from  an 
officer  in  Boston  to  a  gentleman  in  London,  dated 
July  25th,  the  writer  says,  they  felt  themselves 
worse  off  than  the  rebels  ;  as  to  numbers,  like  a 
few  children  in  a  large  crowd ;  that  the  provin- 
cials daily  grew  more  bold,  menacing  insolently, 
and  leading  the  regulars  to  fear  that,  when  the 
short  nights  came,  the  threats  would  be  executed. 
He  adds,  "  They  know  our  situation  as  well  as 
we  do  ourselves,  from  the  villains  that  are  left  in 
town,  who  acquaint  them  with  all  our  proceed- 
ings, making  signals  by  night  with  gunpowder, 
and  at  day,  out  of  the  church  steeples.  About 
three  weeks  ago,  three  fellows  were  taken  out  of 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  85 

one  of  the  latter,  who  confessed  that  he  had  been 
so  employed  for  seven  days.  Another  was  caught 
last  week  swimming  over  to  the  rebels,  with  one 
of  their  general's  passes  in  his  pocket.  He  will 
be  hanged  in  a  day  or  two."  The  Avriter  adds 
other  instances  of  the  boldness  of  the  rebels,  in 
beating  in  the  advanced  guard  on  the  British 
lines  at  Roxbury  and  destroying  the  guard-house, 
and  in  the  pillaging  and  destruction  of  the  light- 
house by  some  yankees  who  landed  from  boats, 
while  a  British  ship  of  war  lay  becalmed  within 
a  mile. 

And  what  a  cheering  spectacle  was  set  before 
the  eyes  of  our  fathers  when  the  American  army, 
intrenching  upon  all  the  beautiful  and  elevated 
hills  which  bound  the  semicircle  around,  con- 
fined their  enemy  to  these  two  peninsulas.  There 
was  no  concealing  the  fact  that  the  ministerial 
troops  felt  deeply  the  degradation  of  their  situ- 
ation, and  were  dispirited  by  it  to  a  degree  that 
weakened  their  moral  and  physical  energies 
through  the  whole  Avar.  From  the  best  infor- 
mation that  Washington,  on  assuming  his  com- 
mand, July  3d,  could  obtain,  he  rated  the  number 
of  the  enemy  at  11,500,  while  the  provincials 
numbered  16,000  to  17,000.  The  sentries  of  the 
opposing  forces  stationed  upon  Charlestown  Neck 
were  near  enough  to  converse  together.  We  are 
forcibly  reminded  of  that  admirable  trait  in  the 
character  of  Washington, — a  scrupulous  attention 
8 


86 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 


to  minutiae, — as  well  as  of  the  spirit  of  patriotism 
which  sustained  us  under  the  war,  by  several  of 
the  "  orders  "  issued  by  our  General  under  these 
circumstances.  He  expressly  forbade  that  any 
post  of  peculiar  responsibility,  such  as  that  of 
sentry  or  guard  at  the  advanced  lines  upon  Rox- 
bury  or  Charlestown  Necks,  should  be  committed 
to  any  other  than  a  native  of  this  country,  who 
had  a  wife  and  family  in  it,  and  was  known  to  be 
attached  to  its  interests.  "  This  order  is  to  be 
considered  as  a  standing  one,  and  the  officers  are 
to  pay  obedience  to  it  at  their  peril." 

The  contrast  between  the  health  and  the  food 
of  the  regulars  and  of  the  provincials  was  ex- 
tremely tantalizing.  Hand-bills  were  printed  at 
Cambridge,  and  sent  on  a  favorable  wind  across 
the  lines  into  the  British  camp.  On  one  of 
these,  an  address  to  the  British  soldiers  bears  the 
following  contrasted  bills  of  fare,  in  the  two 
camps : — 


Prospect  Hill. 

1.  Seven  dollars  a  month. 
II.  Fresh   provisions  and  in 

plenty. 
UI.  Health. 
IV.  Freedom,  ease,  affluence, 

and  a  good  farm. 


Bunker's  Hill. 

I.  Threepence  a  day. 
II.  Rotten  Salt  Pork. 

III.  The  Scurvy. 

IV.  Slavery,     beggary, 

want. 


and 


In  reviewing  the  whole  struggle  whose  opening 
contest  we  have  thus  commemorated,  we  have  a 
duty  to  perform  as  patriots  and  as  Christians  ;  let 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  87 

US  hope  that  there  be  no  discord  in  our  senti- 
ments or  purposes  as  we  apply  to  ourselves  those 
two  epithets.  As  patriots  we  would  vindicate  our 
country,  but  as  Christians  we  must  regret  the 
war,  the  civil  strife,  the  bloody  conflict,  so  utterly 
irreconcilable  with  the  spirit  and  precepts  of  our 
religion. 


DOCUMENTS 


ILLUSTRATIVE    OF    THE    BATTLE    OF    BUNKER'S    HILL. 


PART  I. 
ENGLISH   DOCUMENTS. 


EXTRACTS    FROM    THE    ORDERLY    BOOK    OF    GENERAL 
HOWE. 

The  following  extracts  embrace  all  that  has 
reference  to  the  engagement : 

"  General  morning  orders,  Saturday,  June  17, 
1775.  The  companies  of  the  35th  and  49th,  that 
are  arrived,  to  land  as  soon  as  the  transports  can 
get  to  the  wharf,  and  to  encamp  on  the  ground 
marked  out  for  them  on  the  common. 

"  Captain  Handfield  is  appointed  to  act  as  assist- 
ant to  the  Deputy  Quartermaster  General,  and  is 
to  be  obeyed  as  such. 

"The  ten  eldest  companies  of  grenadiers,  and 
the  ten  eldest  companies  of  light  infantry,  (exclu- 
sive of  those  of  the  regiments  lately  landed,)  the 
5th  and  38th  regiments,  to  parade  at  half  after 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  89 

eleven  o'clock,  with  their  arms,  amunition,  blan- 
kets, and  the  provisions  ordered  to  be  booked  this 
morning.  They  will  march  by  files  to  the  Long 
Wharf. 

"  The  43d  and  52d  regiments,  with  the  remain- 
ing companies  of  light  infantry  and  grenadiers,  to 
parade  at  the  same  time,  with  the  same  directions, 
and  march  to  the  North  Battery.  The  47th  regi- 
ment and  the  1st  battalion  of  marines  will  also 
march,  as  above  directed,  to  the  North  Battery, 
after  the  rest  are  embarked,  and  be  ready  to  em- 
bark there  when  ordered. 

"  The  rest  of  the  troops  will  be  kept  in  readi- 
ness to  march  at  a  moment's  warning. 

"  1  subaltern,  1  Serjeant,  1  corporal,  1  drummer 
and  20  privates,  to  be  left  by  each  corps  for  the 
security  of  their  respective  encampments. 

"  Any  man  who  shall  quit  his  rank,  on  any 
pretence,  or  shall  dare  to  plunder  or  pillage,  will 
be  executed  without  mercy. 

"  The  pioneers  of  the  army  to  parade  immedi- 
ately, and  march  to  the  South  Battery,  where 
they  will  obey  such  orders  as  they  will  receive 
from  Lieut.  Col.  Cleveland. 

"  The  light  dragoons,  mounted,  to  be  sent  im- 
mediately to  the  lines,  where  they  will  attend  and 
obey  the  orders  of  the  officer  commanding  there. 

"  Two  more  to  be  sent  in  like  manner  to  head 
quarters. 

"  Signals  for  the  boats,  in  divisions,  moving  to 
8* 


90  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

the  attack  on  the  rebels,  entrenched  on  the  Heights 
of  Charlestown : 

June  17,  1775,  (viz.) 

Blue  flag To  advance. 

Yellov^r  do To  lay  on  oars. 

Red       do To  land. 

"Heights   of  Charlestown,   June    18th,   at   nine 

o'clock,  morning.  —  General  Howe's  Orders. 

"  The  troops  will  encamp  as  soon  as  the  equi- 
page can  be  brought  up. 

"  Tents  and  provisions  may  be  expected  when 
the  tide  admits  of  transporting  them  to  this  side. 

"  The  corps  to  take  the  duty  at  the  entrenchment 
near  Charlestown  Neck  alternately.  The  whole 
(those  on  the  last  mentioned  duty  excepted,)  to 
furnish  the  third  of  their  numbers  for  work,  with 
officers  and  non-commissioned  officers  in  propor- 
tion, and  to  be  relieved  every  four  hours. 

"  The  parties  for  work  to  carry  their  arms,  and 
lodge  them  securely  while  on  that  duty. 

"  General  Howe  expects  that  all  officers  will 
exert  themselves  to  prevent  the  men  from  strag- 
gling, quitting  their  companies  or  platoons,  and, 
on  pain  of  death  no  man  to  be  guilty  of  the  shame- 
ful and  infamous  practice  of  pillaging  in  the 
deserted  houses. 

"  When  men  are  sent  for  water,  not  less  than 
twelve,  with  a  non-commissioned  officer,  to  be 
sent  on  that  duty. 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  91 

"The  47th  regiment  to  continue  at  the  post 
they  now  occupy. 

"  The  soldiers  are  by  no  means  to  cut  down 
trees,  unless  ordered. 

"  General  Howe  hopes  the  troops  will  in  every 
instance  show  an  attention  to  discipline  and  reg- 
ularity on  this  ground,  equal  to  the  bravery  and 
intrepidity,  he,  with  the  greatest  satisfaction,  ob- 
served they  displayed  so  remarkably  yesterday. 
He  takes  this  opportunity  of  expressing  his  public 
testimony  of  the  gallantry  and  good  conduct  of 
the  officers  under  his  command  during  the  action, 
to  which  he  in  a  great  measure  ascribes  the  suc- 
cess of  the  day.  He  considers  particularly  in  this 
light  the  distinguished  efforts  of  the  Generals 
Clinton  and  Pigot. 

"  The  corps  of  light  infantry  will  relieve  the 
grenadiers  at  the  advanced  entrenchment,  this 
evening  at  seven. 

"  When  the  52d  regiment  encamp,  an  officer 
and  twenty  men  of  that  corps  will  remain  at  the 
post  they  now  occupy. 

"  As  soon  as  the  ground  is  marked  out  for  the 
encampment,  the  several  corps  will  immediately 
make  necessary  houses." 

"  General  Orders — Head  Quarters. 
Boston,  19th  June,  1775. 
"  The   Commander-in-Chief  returns    his    most 
grateful  thanks  to  Major  General  Howe,  for  the 


92  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

extraordinary  exertion  of  his  military  abilities  on 
the  17th  instant.  He  returns  his  thanks  also  to 
Major  General  Clinton,  and  Brigadier  General 
Pigot,  for  the  share  they  took  in  the  success  of  the 
day,  as  well  as  to  Lieut.  Colonels  Nesbitt,  Aber- 
crombie,  Gunning  and  Clarke,  Majors  Butler, 
Williams,  Bruce,  Tupper,  Spendlove,  Smelt  and 
Mitchel,  and  the  rest  of  the  officers  and  soldiers, 
who,  by  remarkable  efforts  of  courage  and  gal- 
lantry, overcame  every  disadvantage,  and  drove 
the  rebels  from  their  redoubt  and  strong  holds  on 
the  Heights  of  Charlestown,  and  gained  a  com- 
pleat  victory. 

"June  27,  1775. 
"  The  preservation  of  the  few  houses  left  in 
Charlestown  (as  much  as  possible)  unimpaired, 
being  an  important  object,  any  of  the  soldiers 
detected  in  future  in  attempting  shamefully  to 
purloin  any  part  of  these  buildings,  will  assu- 
redly be  punished  most  severely.  The  General 
considers  such  instances  of  dcA^astation  and  irreg- 
ularity a  disgrace  to  discipline." 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  General  Gage  to  Lord 
Dartmouth : 

Boston,  June  25,  1775. 

"  The  success,  of  which  I  send  your  lordship 

an  account  by  the  present  opportunity,  was  very 

necessary  in  our  present  situation,  and   I   wish 

most  sincerely  that  it  had  not  cost   us  so  dear. 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    IITLL.  93 

The  number  of  killed  and  wounded  is  greater 
than  our  forces  can  afford  to  lose.  The  officers, 
who  were  obliged  to  exert  themselves,  have  suf- 
fered very  much,  and  we  have  lost  some  extremely 
good  officers.  The  trials  we  have  had,  show  the 
rebels  are  not  the  despicable  rabble  too  many  have 
supposed  them  to  be ;  and  I  find  it  owing  to  a 
military  spirit,  encouraged  among  them  for  a  few 
years  past,  joined  with  an  uncommon  degree  of 
zeal  and  enthusiasm,  that  they  are  otherwise. 
When  they  find  cover  they  make  a  good  stand ; 
and  the  country,  naturally  strong,  affords  it  to 
them,  and  they  are  taught  to  assist  its  natural 
strength  by  art,  for  they  entrench  and  raise  bat- 
teries. They  have  fortified  all  the  heights  and 
passes  around  this  town,  from  Dorchester  to  Med- 
ford  or  Mystick,  and  it  is  not  impossible  for  them 
to  annoy  the  Town. 

"  Your  lordship  will  perceive  that  the  conquest 
of  this  country  is  not  easy,  and  can  be  effected 
only  by  time  and  perseverance,  and  strong  armies 
attacking  it  in  various  quarters,  and  dividing  their 
forces.  Confining  your  operations  on  this  side 
only  is  attacking  in  the  strongest  part,  and  j^ou 
have  to  cope  with  vast  numbers.  It  might  natu- 
rally be  supposed,  that  troops  of  the  nature  of  the 
rebel  army  would  return  home  after  such  a  check 
as  they  had  got ;  and  I  hear  many  wanted  to  go 
off,  but  care  has  been  taken  to  prevent  it;  for  any 
man  that  returns  home  without  a  pass,  is  immedi- 


94  BATTLK    OF    BUNKER    HILF-. 

ately  seized  and  sent  back  to  his  regiment.  In 
all  their  wars  against  the  French,  they  never 
showed  so  much  conduct,  attention  and  perseve- 
rance as  they  do  now.  I  think  it  my  duty  to  let 
your  lordship  know  the  true  situation  of  affairs, 
that  administration  may  take  measures  accord- 
ingly. 

"  The  people's  minds  are  kept  so  much  heated 
and  inflamed,  that  they  are  always  ripe  for  every- 
thing that  is  extravagant.  Truth  is  kept  from 
them,  and  they  are  too  full  of  prejudices  to  believe 
it,  if  laid  before  them ;  and  so  blind  and  bigoted, 
that  they  cannot  see  they  have  exchanged  liberty 
for  tyranny.  No  people  were  ever  governed  more 
absolutely  than  those  of  the  American  Provinces 
now  are,  and  no  reason  can  be  given  for  their 
submission,  but  that  it  is  a  tyranny  they  have 
erected  themselves,  as  they  believe,  to  avoid  great- 
er evils. 


General  Gage  to  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth.     [From 
the  London  Gazette.] 

"  Whitehall,  July  25,  1775. 
"  This  morning  arrived  Captain  Chadds,  of  His 
Majesty's  ship  Cerberus,  with  the  following  letter 
from  the  Hon.  Lieut.  General  Gage,  to  the  Earl 
of  Dartmouth,  one  of  His  Majesty's  principal 
Secretaries  of  State." 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  95 

"  Copy  of  a  letter  from  the  Hon.  Lieut.  General 

Gage,  to  the  Earl  of  Dartmouth,  dated  Boston, 

Jtme  25,  1775. 

"  My  Lord  :  I  am  to  acquaint  your  lordship  of 
an  action  that  happened  on  the  17th  instant, 
between  his  Majesty's  troops  and  a  body  of  the 
rebel  forces. 

"  An  alarm  was  given  at  break  of  day  on  the 
17th  instant,  by  a  firing  from  the  Lively,  ship  of 
war ;  and  advice  was  soon  afterwards  received, 
that  the  rebels  had  broke  ground,  and  were  raising 
a  battery  on  the  heights  of  the  peninsula  of 
Charlestown,  against  the  Town  of  Boston.  They 
were  plainly  seen  at  work,  and  in  a  few  hours  a 
battery  of  six  guns  played  upon  their  works. 
Preparations  were  instantly  made  for  landing  a 
body  of  men  to  drive  them  off,  and  ten  companies 
of  grenadiers  and  ten  of  light  infantry,  Avith  the 
fifth,  thirty-eighth,  forty-third  and  fifty-second  bat- 
talions made  a  third  line.  The  rebels  upon  the 
Heights  were  perceived  to  be  in  great  force,  and 
strongly  posted — a  redoubt,  thrown  up  on  the  16th, 
at  night,  with  other  works,  full  of  men,  defended 
with  cannon,  and  a  large  body  posted  in  the  hou- 
ses in  Charlestown,  covered  their  right  flank,  and 
their  centre  and  left  were  covered  by  a  breastwork, 
part  of  it  cannon  proof,  which  reached  from  the 
left  of  the  redoubt,  to  the  Mystic  or  Medford  river. 

"  This  appearance  of  the  rebels'  strength,  and 
the  large  columns  seen  pouring  in  to  their  assist- 


96  BATTLE    OF    BUNKKR    HILL. 

ance,  occasioned  an  application  for  the  troops  to 
be  reinforced  with  some  companies  of  light  infan- 
try and  grenadiers,  the  forty-seventh  battalion, 
and  the  first  battalion  of  marines  ;  the  whole,  when 
in  conjunction,  making  a  body  of  something  above 
two  thousand  men.  These  troops  advanced,  formed 
in  two  lines,  and  the  attack  began  by  a  sharp 
cannonade  from  our  field  pieces  and  howitzers  ;  the 
lines  advancing  slowly,  and  frequently  halting  to 
give  time  for  the  artillery  to  fire.  The  light  infan- 
try was  directed  to  force  the  left  point  of  the 
breastwork,  to  take  the  rebel  line  in  flank,  and  the 
grenadiers  to  attack  in  front,  supported  by  the  fifth 
and  fifty-second  battalions.  These  orders  were 
executed  with  perseverance,  under  a  heavy  fire 
from  the  vast  numbers  of  the  rebels  ;  and  not- 
withstanding various  impediments  before  the  troops 
could  reach  the  works,  (and  though  the  left,  under 
Brigadier  General  Pigot,  who  engaged  also  with 
the  rebels  at  Charlestown,  which  at  a  critical  mo- 
ment was  set  on  fire,)  the  Brigadier  pursued  his 
point,  and  carried  the  redoubt.  The  rebels  were 
then  forced  from  other  strong  holds,  and  pursued 
till  they  were  drove  clear  ofl"  the  peninsula,  leaving 
five  pieces  of  cannon  behind  them. 

"  The  loss  the  rebels  sustained  must  have  been 
considerable,  from  the  great  numbers  they  carried 
oft'  during  the  time  of  the  action,  and  buried  in 
holes,  since  discovered,  exclusive  of  what  they 
suffered  by  the  shipping  and  boats.  Near  one 
hundred   were   buried   the   next   day   after,  and 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  97 

thirty  found  wounded  in  the  field,  three  of  whom 
are  since  dead. 

"  I  enclose  your  lordship  a  return  of  the  killed 
and  wounded  of  His  Majesty's  troops. 

"  This  action  has  shown  the  superiority  of  the 
King's  troops,  who,  under  every  disadvantage, 
attacked  and  defeated  above  three  times  their 
number,  strongly  posted,  and  covered  by  breast- 
works. 

"  The  conduct  of  Major  General  Howe  was 
conspicuous  on  this  occasion,  and  his  example 
spirited  the  troops,  in  which  Major  General  Clin- 
ton assisted,  who  followed  the  reinforcement. 
And  in  justice  to  Brigadier  General  Pigot,  I  am 
to  add,  that  the  success  of  the  day  must,  in  a 
great  measure,  be  attributed  to  his  firmness  and 
gallantry. 

"  Lieutenant  Colonels  Nesbit,  Abercrombie, 
Clarke ;  Majors  Butler,  Williams,  Bruce,  Spend- 
love,  Smelt,  Mitchell,  Pitcairn,  and  Short,  ex- 
erted themselves  remarkably ;  and  the  valor  of 
the  British  officers  and  soldiers  in  general  was  at 
no  time  more  conspicuous  than  in  this  action. 
"  I  have  the  honor  to  be,  &c., 

"Thomas  Gage." 

[Then   follows  the  return  with  the  names  of 
the  officers,  non-commissioned  officers,  and  pri- 
vates, of  the  different  corps,  killed  and  wounded  : 
subjoined  is  the  ensuing  summary.] 
9 


98  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

"  Total, — one  Lieutenant  Colonel,  two  Majors, 
seven  Captains,  nine  Lieutenants,  fifteen  Ser- 
geants, one  Drummer,  one  hundred  and  ninety- 
one  rank  and  file,  killed ;  three  Majors,  twenty- 
seven  Captains,  thirty-two  Lieutenants,  eight 
Ensigns,  twenty  Sergeants,  twelve  Drummers, 
seven  hundred  and  six  rank  and  file,  wounded." 

[The  above  summary  was  not  strictly  accurate, 
nor  complete.  Of  course,  very  many  of  the 
wounded  died  soon  after  this  account  was  written. 
The  whole  number  of  the  killed  and  wounded 
was  afterwards  estimated  by  the  British  at  1054. 
Some  of  their  men  were  missing  after  the  battle, 
who  were  supposed  to  have  deserted  to  the 
Americans.] 


"  Observations  on  the  government  account  of  the 
late  action  near  Charlestown."  [From  the  Op- 
position journals.] 

"  London,  August  1,  1775. 

"  There  are  two  sorts  of  persons  who  always 
persevere  uniformly,  and  without  shame,  in  one 
unvaried  line  of  conduct,  regardless  of  the  con- 
tempt and  detestation  of  mankind.  The  sorts  I 
mean  are  the  thorough  virtuous,  and  the  thorough 
scoundrel. 

"  To  one  of  these  classes  most  evidently  belong 
the  ministers,  who  settled  the  account  which  they 
have  given  us  in  last  Tuesday's  Gazette. 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  99 

"  The  action  near  Boston,  happened  on  the 
'  17th  of  June,'  yet  General  Gage's  letter  is  dated 
eight  days  after,  on  the  '  25th  of  June.' 

"  By  this  letter  it  appears  that  it  has  cost  one 
thousand  and  sixty-four  of  the  troops,  killed  and 
wounded,  to  destroy  a  redoubt  thrown  up  only 
the  overnight,  i.  e.,  on  the  16th  of  June. 

"  The  loss  of  the  provincials,  the  letter  says, 
'  must  have  been  considerable ;'  yet  eight  days 
after  the  action,  the  General,  though  completely 
victorious,  can  tell  us  only  of  '  one  hundred ' 
buried,  and  '  thirty'  wounded. 

"  But  '  they  had  carried  off  great  numbers  dur- 
ing the  time  of  the  action.'  Did  they  so  ?  That  is 
no  great  sign  of  flight,  confusion,  and  defeat. 

"But  'they  buried  them  in  holes.'  Really! 
why,  are  our  soldiers  buried  in  the  air  ? 

"  But  '  the  King's  troops  were  under  every 
disadvantage.'  So  truly  it  seems;  for  in  the 
same  letter  we  are  told  '  that  they  had  a  propor- 
tion of  field  artillery,  and  landed  on  the  peninsula 
without  opposition,  and  formed  as  soon  as  landed, 
under  the  protection  of  some  ships  of  war,  armed 
vessels,  and  boats,  by  whose  fire  the  rebels  were 
kept  within  their  works.' 

"  But  '  this  action  has  shown  the  superiority  of 
the  King's  troops.'  Has  it,  indeed?  How?  Why 
they  (with  a  proportion  of  field  artillery,  and  with 
the  assistance  of  ships,  armed  vessels,  and  boats, 
and  with  the  encouragement  of  certain  and  speedy 


100  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

reinforcements,  if  necessary,)  attacked  and  de- 
feated '  above  three  times  their  own  numbers.' 
What,  three  times  their  own  numbers  ?  Of 
whom,  pray  ?  Of  French  or  Spanish  regu- 
lars ?  No,  of  the  Americans.  Of  the  Americans  ! 
What,  of  those  dastardly,  hypocritical  cowards, 
who,  (Lord  Sandwich  knows,)  do  not  feel  bold 
enough  to  dare  to  look  a  soldier  in  the  face  I  Of 
those  undisciplined  and  spiritless  Yankees,  who 
were  to  be  driven  from  one  end  of  the  continent 
to  the  other,  with  a  single  regiment !  What,  of 
those  skulking  assassins,  who  can  only  fire  at  a 
distance,  from  behind  stone  walls  and  hedges  I 
Good  God  I  Was  it  necessary  to  defeat  these 
fellows,  that  the  troops  should  be  '  spirited '  by 
the  example  of  General  Howe,  assisted  by  Gen- 
eral Clinton !  And  can  it  be,  that  Lieutenant 
Colonels  Nesbit,  Abercrombie,  and  Clarke ;  Ma- 
jors Butler,  Williams,  Bruce,  Spendlove,  Smelt, 
Mitchell,  Pitcairn,  and  Short,  should  be  forced  to 
exert  themselves  remarkably,  against  such  pol- 
troons !  Is  it  possible  that  this  could  be  an 
affair  in  which  '  the  valor  of  the  British  officers 
and  soldiers,  in  general,  was  as  conspicuous  as  at 
any  time  whatever,'  and  notwithstanding  all  this, 
that  the  success,  in  a  great  measure,  should  be 
attributed  to  the  firmness  and  gallantry  of  Gen- 
eral Pigot ! 

"  Good  God !  is  it  come  to  this  at  last  ?     Can 
the  regulars,  with  all  these  exertions,  only  defeat 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  101 

three  times  their  own  number  of  undisciplined 
cowards?  and  that,  too,  at  the  expense  of  one 
thousand  and  sixty-four,  (that  is,  more  than  one- 
half,)  killed  and  wounded,  out  of  something  above 
two  thousand  ? 

"  Is  every  redoubt  which  the  Americans  can 
throw  up  in  a  short  summer  night,  to  be  demol- 
ished at  this  expense  ?  How  many  such  victories 
can  we  bear  ? 

"  Alas !  When  I  read  in  the  General's  letter 
the  regular  and  formidable  preparations  for  attack; 
'  ten  companies  of  grenadiers,  ten  of  light  infantry, 
with  the  fifth,  thirty-eighth,  forty-third,  and  fifty- 
second  battalions,  with  a  proportion  of  field  artil- 
lery, under  the  command  of  Major  General  Howe 
and  Brigadier  General  Pigot ;'  and  these  '  landed 
on  the  peninsula  under  the  protection  of  ships  of 
war,  armed  vessels,  and  boats,'  and  their  dreadful 
fire ;  when  I  had  read  this,  I  concluded  that  the 
next  lines  Avould  inform  us  of  the  immediate  and 
precipitate  flight  of  the  Yankees.  Judge,  then, 
of  my  surprise  when  I  read  that  (instead  of  being 
at  all  dismayed  or  struck  with  the  Sandwich 
panic,)  '  large  columns '  of  these  cowards  '  were 
seen  pouring  in  to  their  assistance.' 

"  Well,  but  then  comes  '  an  application  for  the 
troops  to  be  reinforced  with  some  companies  of 
light  infantry  and  grenadiers,  the  forty-seventh 
battalion,  and  the  first  battalion  of  marines.' 
They  will  certainly,  thought  I,  scamper  away 
9* 


102  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

now.  Alas  !  no.  They  stay  and  fight.  And  to 
complete  my  astonishment,  I  cannot  find  in  Gen- 
eral Gage's  letter,  where  our  troops  were  when  he 
wrote,  nor  what  became  of  them  after  the  action ; 
whether  they  are  returned  to  Boston,  or  have 
ventured  to  encamp  without  the  town ;  what 
prisoners  they  have  taken ;  what  advantages  (be- 
sides five  pieces  of  cannon,)  result  from  this 
bloody  action ;  whether  the  war  is  now  at  an 
end,  or  what  the  troops  propose  to  do  next. 

"  To  be  serious,  I  am,  for  my  own  part,  con- 
vinced that  the  event  of  this  execrable  dragooning 
is  decided ;  and  that  before  winter,  there  will  not 
be  a  single  soldier  of  Lord  Bute's  and  Lord 
Mansfield's  mercenary  troops  left  upon  the  conti- 
nent of  America. 

"  With  what  consolation  those  noble  lords  will 
wipe  away  the  tears  of  the  widow  and  orphans, 
(as  well  English  as  American,)  which  these 
bloody  Stuart  measures  have  occasioned,  I  can- 
not tell ;  but  I  know  that  my  eyes  will  gush  out 
with  joy  when  they  see  the  authors  of  our  domes- 
tic miseries  receive  (what  I  believe  they  will  soon 
receive)  their  just  reward." 

Further  observations.  "  I  have  the  highest 
idea  of  General  Howe's  military  character,  yet 
cannot  help  wondering  how  he  came  to  suffer 
the  provincials  to  escape,  and  even  carry  ofT  their 
dead,  when  drove  from  their  strong  lines ;  for 
1   conceive  it  very  easy  to  have  destroyed  the 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  103 

whole  body,  after  dislodging  them  so  suddenly 
from  their  intrenchments,  if  Mr.  Gage  is  suffered 
to  tell  the  story  right.  I  can't  help  observing, 
also,  that  I  never  before  heard  of  so  many  men, 
in  proportion  to  the  number,  being  killed  and 
wounded  from  redoubts  made  in  four  hours,  and 
from  six  pieces  of  cannon  only,  in  those  redoubts, 
to  oppose  above  one  hundred  pieces.  I  therefore 
suspect  that  the  disagreeable  scene  is  not  unfolded. 
"  One  or  both  of  the  following  conclusions 
must  be  drawn  from  this  narration  :  the  Ameri- 
cans are  either  the  cleverest  fellows  in  the  world 
at  making  strong  lines  in  three  or  four  hours,  or 
the  most  desperate  enemy  in  defending  them ; 
for,  by  Mr.  Gage's  account,  they  killed  and 
wounded  near  half  his  army  in  marching  up 
about  three  hundred  yards  under  a  complete  train 
of  artillery,  and  all  the  fire  of  the  navy  to  cover 
them  ;  which,  by  this  account,  is  a  new  instance 
of  successful  defence  from  one  night's  labor. 
Hah,  Gad !  by  this  rule,  the  Americans  will  put 
our  whole  army  into  the  grave  or  hospitals  in 
three  or  four  nights'  work,  and  an  hour's  fire  in 
each  morning.  I  do  not  remember  precisely,  but 
am  apt  to  believe  that  there  were  not  so  many 
officers  killed  and  wounded  at  the  battle  of  Min- 
den,  though  the  English  regiments  sustained  the 
force  of  the  whole  French  army  for  a  consider- 
able time.  A  six-gun  battery,  the  products  i  n  of  a 
night's  digging,  had  there  been  ten  thousan  I  men 


104  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

to  protect  it,  could  never  have  made  such  havoc 
against  a  vast  train  of  artillery,  and  the  irresist- 
ible fire  of  our  ships,  which  would  sweep  all 
before  them,  from  every  acre  of  that  peninsula. 
But  the  true  story  is  not  told.  A  Methodist  sec- 
retary and  a  Scotch  printer  can  do  more  than 
our  people  ;  they  pay  off  the  sins  of  omission  and 
commission  of  the  day,  by  a  long  prayer  at  night, 
and  thus  settle  accounts  between  God  and  the 
people  in  an  hour's  devotion." 


"  London,  August  8,  1775. 
"  The  account  of  the  late  action  between  the 
Americans  and  the  troops  of  General  Gage,  is 
one  of  the  most  evasive  and  unsatisfactory  that 
ever  yet  obtruded  on  the  public,  even  through  the 
channel  of  a  ministerial  paper ;  and  yet  it  is 
every  way  worthy  of  the  victory  which  it  affects 
to  describe.  The  General  sent  out  '  something 
above  two  thousand  men,'  of  whom,  something 
above  half,  (i.  e.,  1053,)  are  either  killed  or 
wounded.  The  General,  however,  takes  care 
not  to  mention  how  many  hours  were  employed 
in  the  prosecution  of  this  hopeful  business,  but, 
nevertheless,  pretends  to  tell  us  that  great  num- 
bers of  the  enemy  were  destroyed ;  and  seems  to 
have  employed  his  soldiers  in  digging  up  such  as 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  105 

were  buried  in  holes,  that  he  might  have  power 
to  ascertain  the  value  of  his  conquest. 

"  With  all  the  vanity  of  a  military  man  he 
praises  the  conduct  of  the  officers  under  his  com- 
mand ;  but  prudently  omits  to  say  whether  any 
such  advantage  has  been  gained  as  may  make 
up  for  the  loss  of  one  Lieutenant  Colonel,  two 
Majors,  seven  Captains,  nine  Lieutenants,  fif- 
teen Sergeants,  one  Drummer,  one  hundred  and 
ninety-one  rank  and  file,  killed;  and  three  Ma- 
jors, twenty-seven  Captains,  thirty-two  Lieuten- 
ants, eight  Ensigns,  forty  Sergeants,  twelve 
Drummers,  and  seven  hundred  and  six  rank  and 
file,  wounded,  and  unfit  for  service.  In  short,  if, 
every  time  the  General  sends  out  his  brace  of 
thousands,  the  one  half  of  them  shall  either  drop 
or  be  rendered  useless,  we  shall  soon  see  an 
end  to  the  war  in  America,  but  it  cannot  be  ex- 
pected to  terminate  in  our  own  favor. 

"  The  ministry  received  this  account  several 
days  before  it  was  announced,  but  were  either 
unable  or  unwilling  to  cook  it  up  for  the  public, 
till  after  their  despatches  had  been  sent  away. 
The  printer  may  rely  on  this  assurance  from  one 
whose  private  letters  will  always  reach  him 
unexamined  and  uncastrated  by  the  spies  of 
government.  General  Gage  is  but  too  well  con- 
vinced that  such  another  victory  would  oblige 
him  to  re-embark  his  troops  and  sail  immediately 


106  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

for  England,  without  attempting  any  further  re- 
duction of  the  Americans. 

"  The  Captain  who  brought  these  despatches 
from  Boston,  was  commanded  to  declare  he  had 
great  news  of  the  defeat  of  the  Americans,  though 
he  had  assured  many  people,  in  the  towns  through 
which  he  passed  on  his  way  to  London,  that  he 
was  afraid  the  accounts  he  brought  would  throw 
the  whole  nation  into  disorder,  and  direct  its  ven- 
geance on  the  advisers  of  hostile  measures  in 
America." 

General  Burgoyne  to  Lord  Stanley : 

"  Boston,  June  25,  1775. 
"  Boston  is  a  peninsula,  joined  to  the  main  land 
only  by  a  narrow  neck,  which,  on  the  first  trou- 
bles, General  Gage  fortified ;  arms  of  the  sea  and 
the  harbor  surround  the  rest  on  the  other  side. 
On  one  of  these  arms,  to  the  north,  is  Charles- 
town;  or  rather  was,  for  it  is  now  rubbish;  and 
over  it  is  a  large  hill,  which  is  also  (like  Boston) 
a  peninsula.  To  the  south  of  the  town  is  a  still 
larger  slope  of  ground,  containing  three  hills, 
joining  also  to  the  main  by  a  tongue  of  land,  and 
called  Dorchester  Neck.  The  Heights,  as  above 
described,  both  north  and  south,  (in  the  soldier's 
phrase,)  command  the  town ;  that  is,  give  an 
opportunity  of  erecting  batteries  above  any  that 
you  can  make  against  them,  and  consequently 
are  much  more  advantageous.     It  was  absolutely 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  107 

necessary  we  should  make  ourselves  masters  of 
these  Heights,  and  we  proposed  to  begin  with 
Dorchester ;  because,  from  the  particular  situation 
of  batteries  and  shipping,  (too  long  to  describe,  and 
unintelligible  to  you  if  I  did,)  it  would  evidently  be 
effected  without  any  considerable  loss.  Every- 
thing was  accordingly  disposed ;  my  two  col- 
leagues and  myself  (who,  by  the  by,  have  never 
differed  in  one  jot  of  military  sentiment)  had,  in 
concert  with  General  Gage,  formed  the  plan. 
Howe  was  to  land  the  transports  on  the  point ; 
Clinton  in  the  centre,  and  I  was  to  cannonade 
from  the  causeway  or  the  Neck  ;  each  to  take 
advantage  of  circumstances.  The  operations  must 
have  been  very  easy.  This  was  to  have  been  exe- 
cuted on  the  eighteenth.  On  the  seventeenth, 
at  dawn  of  day,  we  found  the  enemy  had  pushed 
intrenchments  with  great  diligence  during  the 
night,  on  the  Heights  of  Charlestown,  and  we 
evidently  saw  that  every  hour  gave  them  fresh 
strength.  It  therefore  became  necessary  to  alter 
our  plan,  and  attack  on  that  side.  Howe,  as 
second  in  command,  was  detached  with  about  two 
thousand  men,  and  landed  on  the  outward  side  of 
the  peninsula,  covered  with  shipping  and  without 
opposition ;  he  was  to  advance  from  thence  up 
the  hill,  which  was  over  Charlestown,  where  the 
strength  of  the  enemy  lay ;  he  had  under  him 
Brigadier  General  Pigot.  Clinton  and  myself 
took  our  stand  (for  we  had  not  any  fixed  post)  in 


lUS  BATTLE    OF    BUNKKR    HILL. 

a  large  battery  directly  opposite  to  Charlestown, 
and  commanded--  it,  and  also  reaching  the  heights 
above  it,  and  thereby  facilitating  Howe's  attack. 
Howe's  disposition  was  exceedingly  soldier-like ; 
in  my  opinion  it  was  perfect.  As  his  first  arm 
advanced  up  the  hill  they  met  with  a  thousand 
impediments  from  strong  fences,  and  were  much 
exposed.  They  were  also  exceedingly  hurt  by 
musketry  from  Charlestown,  though  Clinton  and 
I  did  not  perceive  it  till  Howe  sent  us  word  by  a 
boat,  and  desired  us  to  set  fire  to  the  town,  which 
was  immediately  done  ;  we  threw  a  parcel  of 
shells,  and  the  whole  was  instantly  in  flames. 
Our  battery  afterwards  kept  an  incessant  fire  on 
the  Heights ;  it  was  seconded  by  a  number  of 
frigates,  floating  batteries,  and  one  ship-of-the-line. 
And  now  ensued  one  of  the  greatest  scenes  of  war 
that  can  be  conceived  :  if  we  look  to  the  Heights, 
Howe's  corps  ascending  the  hill,  and  in  the  face 
of  intrenchments,  and  in  a  very  disadvantageous 
ground,  was  much  engaged  ;  to  the  left,  the  enemy 
pouring  in  fresh  troops  by  thousands,  over  the 
land  and  the  arm  of  the  sea,  our  ships  and  float- 
ing batteries  cannonading  them ;  straight  before 
us  a  large  and  noble  town  in  one  great  blaze — 
the  church  steeples  being  timber,  were  great  pyra- 
mids of  fire  above  the  rest ;  behind  us,  the  church 
steeples  and  heights  of  our  own  camp,  covered 
with  spectators  of  the  rest  of  our  army,  which 
was  engaged ;  the  hills  round  the  country  covered 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  109 

with  spectators,  the  enemy  all  in  anxious  suspense, 
the  roar  of  cannon,  mortars  and  musketry,  the 
crash  of  churches,  ships  upon  the  stocks,  and 
whole  streets  falling  together,  to  fill  the  ear ;  the 
storm  of  the  redoubts,  with  the  objects  above 
described,  to  fill  the  eye ;  and  the  reflection  that, 
perhaps,  a  defeat  was  a  final  loss  to  the  British 
Empire  in  America,  to  fill  the  mind ;  made  the 
whole  a  picture  and  a  complication  of  horror  and 
importance  beyond  anything  that  ever  came  to 
my  lot  to  be  witness  to.  I  much  lament  Tom's 
[the  Honorable  Thomas  Stanley,  Esquire,  nephew 
to  General  Burgoyne,  and  brother  to  Lord  Stanley, 
a  volunteer  in  the  army]  absence  ;  it  was  a  sight 
for  a  young  soldier  that  the  longest  service  may 
not  furnish  again  ;  and  had  he  been  with  me,  he 
would  likewise  have  been  out  of  danger;  for, 
except  two  cannon  balls  that  went  a  hundred 
yards  over  our  heads,  we  were  not  in  any  part  of 
the  direction  of  the  enemy's  shot.  A  moment  of 
the  day  was  critical ;  Howe's  left  were  staggered ; 
two  battalions  had  been  sent  to  reinforce  them, 
but  we  perceived  them  on  the  beach,  seeming  in 
embarrassment  what  way  to  march.  Clinton, 
then,  next  for  business,  took  the  part,  without  wait- 
ing for  orders,  to  throw  himself  into  a  boat  to 
head  them ;  he  arrived  in  time  to  be  of  service ; 
the  day  ended  with  glory,  and  the  success  was 
most  important,  considering  the  ascendency  it 
gave  the  regular  troops ;  but  the  loss  was  uncom- 
10 


110  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

mon  in  officers  for  the  numbers  engaged.  Howe 
was  untouched,  but  his  aid-de-camp,  Sherwin, 
Avas  killed ;  Jordan,  a  friend  of  Howe's,  who  came 
engage  le  de  cmitr.,  to  see  the  campaign,  (a  ship- 
mate of  ours  on  board  the  Cerberus,  and  who 
acted  as  aid-de-camp,)  is  badly  wounded.  Pigot 
was  unhurt,  but  he  behaved  like  a  hero.  You 
will  see  the  list  of  the  loss.  Poor  Colonel  Aber- 
crombie,  who  commanded  the  grenadiers,  died 
yesterday  of  his  wounds.  Captain  Addison,  our 
poor  old  friend,  who  arrived  but  the  day  before, 
and  was  to  have  dined  with,  me  on  the  day  of  the 
action,  was  also  killed  ;  his  son  was  upon  the  field 
at  the  same  time.  Major  Mitchell  is  but  very 
slightly  hurt ;  he  is  out  already.  Young  Chet- 
wynd's  wound  is  also  slight.  Lord  Percy's  regi- 
ment has  suffered  the  most,  and  behaved  the  best ; 
his  lordship  himself  was  not  in  the  action.  Lord 
Rowden  behaved  to  a  charm ;  his  name  is  estab- 
lished for  life." 

[Observations   on   the   above,   in  the  Opposition 

paper,  addressed] 
"  To  General  Burgoyne  : 

"  Sir  :  In  reading  the  newspapers,  I  find  an 
extract  of  a  letter,  which  it  is  said  you  wrote  a  few 
days  after  the  battle  of  Charlestown,  to  a  noble 
Lord  in  England  ;  and  I  take  notice  you  close  your 
narration  of  that  important  day's  work,  by  saying, 
*  the  day  ended  with  glory.' 


BATTLK    OK    BUNKER    HILL.  Ill 

"  As  I  am  totally  at  a  loss  to  know  what  part 
of  the  day's  conduct  was  crowned  with  so  much 
'  glory '  on  your  part,  permit  me,  sir,  to  inquire 
whether  it  was  such  a  '  glorious '  achievement, 
for  upAvards  of  two  thousand  regular  disciplined 
troops,  being  the  flower  of  the  British  army, 
headed  by  the  most  approved  and  experienced 
generals,  with  part  of  the  train  of  artillery,  sup- 
ported and  covered  with  one  ship-of-the-line,  a 
number  of  frigates  and  floating  batteries,  and  a 
large  battery  on  Copp's  Hill,  in  which  General 
Clinton  and  you  took  your  stand,  and  which  com- 
manded the  town,  to  dislodge  a  much  inferior 
number  of  American  militia,  from  a  slender  de- 
fence which  they  had  but  four  hours  to  prepare,  for 
it  was  twelve  o'clock  before  either  spade  or  pick- 
axe entered  the  ground,  and  the  Lively,  ship-of- 
war,  fired  upon  them  at  four  next  morning,  and  soon 
after  the  battery  above  mentioned  began  to  play  ? 

"  Was  it,  indeed,  such  a  '  glorious  '  action,  with 
all  this  tremendous  apparatus  of  war,  and  under  all 
these  advantageous  circumstances,  in  the  space  of 
twelve  hours  to  kill  seventy-seven,  and  wound  two 
hundred  and  seventy-eight  Americans,  (twenty- 
eight  of  whom  were  captivated,)  and  take  five 
small  pieces  of  cannon,  which  they  had  not  time 
to  place  ?  Nor  was  all  this  effected  till  they  had 
sustained  your  fire  from  four  o'clock  in  the  morn- 
ing till  four  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  ;  being  then 
quite  worn  down  with  fatigue,  and  their  ammu- 
nition wholly  expended,  were  obliged  to  retreat. 


112  BATTLE    OF    BUNKEK    HILL. 

"  Your  representation  of  the  transactions  of 
that  day,  does  the  Americans  an  honor  you  never 
intended.  All  Europe  will  revere  the  fortitude, 
and  stand  surprised  at  the  firmness  and  valor,  of 
this  handful  of  brave,  though  undisciplined  men. 

"  Or  was  it,  indeed,  such  a  '  glorious '  sight 
to  view  the  field  strewed  with  the  mangled  corpses 
of  a  few  brave  and  virtuous  Americans  ?  Or  to 
see  the  agonies  and  hear  the  piercing  shrieks  and 
dying  groans  of  Abercrombie,  Pitcairn,  and  above 
a  thousand  others  of  those  who  were  brought 
hither  to  crush  the  rising  liberty  of  America,  but 
who  now  lay  weltering  in  their  gore  ?  Or  to 
behold  the  inexpressible  anguish  of  the  widows 
and  orphans  made  by  that  day's  wicked  attempt 
to  enslave  America  ? 

"  If  such  a  scene  as  this  is  '  glorious  '  in  your 
eyes,  Americans  are  of  opposite  sentiments ; 
they  lament  the  loss  of  those  brave  Britons,  whose 
life  and  blood  should  have  been  reserved  for  a 
cause  of  justice  against  the  natural  enemies  of 
Englishmen.  Americans  mourn  over  the  wounds 
you  compel  them  to  give,  and  heartily  sympathize 
with  those  widows  and  orphans  you  forced  them 
to  make. 

"  But  perhaps  it  was  your  laying  Charlestown 
in  ashes,  that  has  elated  your  mind,  and  led  you 
to  conclude  that  '  the  day  ended  with  glory.' 
Remember,  sir,  any  parricide,  any  assassin,  the 
greatest  of  villains,  with  proper  materials,  can  set 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  113 

wooden  buildings  on  fire,  especially  when  they 
themselves  are  as  far  out  of  danger  as  you  were 
at  that  time. 

"  Was  it,  indeed,  '  glorious '  to  see  whole 
streets  falling  together  in  flaming  ruins,  owned 
by  subjects  second  to  none  for  their  loyalty  to  the 
monarch  of  Britain,  who,  by  the  way,  have  now 
sprung  to  their  arms,  determined  to  check  the 
bloody  career  of  ministerial  vengeance,  or  perish 
in  the  attempt  ? 

"  Was  there  any  necessity,  from  the  exigency 
of  the  day,  for  this  wanton  waste  of  English 
property,  to  the  amount  of  one  hundred  thousand 
pounds  sterling?  You  yourself  acknowledged 
that  neither  Clinton  nor  you  perceived  any  firing 
from  the  town  of  Charlestown,  on  the  troops  under 
Lord  Howe ;  nor  did  anybody  else  see  any ;  for 
I  now  appeal  to  his  lordship's  candor,  whether  it 
was  possible  that  his  troops  could  have  been  an- 
noyed by  the  Americans  from  any  of  the  houses 
in  Charlestown,  provided  those  houses  had  been 
full  of  them  ?  The  town  of  Charlestown  was 
always  in  your  power,  and  you  might  have  set  it 
on  fire  at  any  hour  when  you  pleased. 

"  Would  it  not  have  been  less  inglorious  to 
have  reserved  it  for  the  use  of  your  own  troops, 
who  have  since  loaded  you  with  many  a  curse, 
while  suffering  in  cold  and  rain,  for  want  of 
being  covered  in  those  very  buildings  you  de- 
stroyed ? 

10* 


114  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

"  If  this  is  your  idea  of  '  glory,'  I  shall  think 
that  this,  and  the  martial  soul  you  discover,  in 
lamenting  the  absence  of  your  nephew,  Thomas 
Stanley,  Esquire,  because  you  were  out  of  the 
direction  of  the  American  shot,  pretty  near  of 
a  piece. 

"  Liberty,  peace  and  glory,  to  both  countries,  is 
the  voice  of  America." 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  Mr.  Grant,  one  of  the 
surgeons  of  the  British  Military  Hospital  in 
Boston,  to  a  friend  in  Westminster,  dated  June 
23,  1775. 

"  I  have  scarce  time  sufficient  to  eat  my  meals  ; 
therefore  you  must  expect  but  a  few  lines.  I 
have  been  up  two  nights,  assisted  with  four  mates, 
dressing  our  men  of  the  wounds  they  received 
the  last  engagement.  Many  of  the  wounded  are 
daily  dying,  and  many  must  have  both  legs  am- 
putated. The  provincials  had  either  exhausted 
their  ball,  or  they  were  determined  that  every 
wound  should  prove  mortal.  Their  muskets 
were  charged  with  old  nails  and  angular  pieces 
of  iron  ;  and  from  most  of  our  men  being  wounded 
in  the  legs,  we  are  inclined  to  believe  it  was  their 
design,  not  wishing  to  kill  the  men,  but  leave  them 
as  burdens  on  us,  to  exhaust  our  provisions  and 
engage  our  attention,  as  well  as  to  intimidate  the 
rest  of  the  soldiery." 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKKE    HILL.  115 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  an  officer  of  rank  to  a 
gentleman  in  London,  dated,  Boston,  June  18, 
1775. 

"  We  left  Cork  early  in  April,  and  after  a  very- 
tedious  and  disagreeable  passage  of  seven  weeks, 
arrived  here  on  the  sixteenth  day  of  this  month. 
On  our  landing,  we  found  everything  in  the 
utmost  confusion,  partly  arising  from  the  mur- 
murs of  the  soldiery ;  the  difference  of  opinion 
among  the  superior  officers ;  the  want  of  fresh 
provisions  ;  the  general  unhealthiness  of  the 
troops,  and,  above  all,  the  misery  of  the  wretched 
inhabitants,  destitute  of  food,  raiment,  or  property. 
Whether  it  was  an  aggregate  of  all  these,  or  a 
weakness  arising  from  a  sea-sickness,  which  com- 
menced at  the  cove  of  Cork,  and  only  left  me  on 
my  landing,  I  will  not  pretend  to  say,  but  I  have 
been  totally  confined  to  my  room  since  last  Sat- 
urday. Yesterday  morning,  the  troops  were 
ordered  under  arms  at  three  o'clock,  on  a  boat 
being  sent  from  one  of  the  ships  of  war  to  ac- 
quaint us  that  the  provincials  were  raising  works 
in  order  to  besiege  us,  and  put  us  between  cross 
fires.  Feeble  as  I  was,  I  arose  and  dressed  my- 
self, and  went  down  to  the  head-quarters  to  offer 
my  service.  There  were  two  reasons,  however, 
which  prevented  their  acceptance ;  one  was  the 
state  of  my  health,  the  other  that  the  regiment  I 
belonged  to  was  not  ordered  out.  The  troops 
destined   for   that   service   were    landed   on    the 


116  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

Charlestown  side  between  eight  and  nine  o'clock; 
but  on  account  of  the  number  of  the  provincials, 
the  troops  did  not  begin  the  attack  for  a  consid- 
erable time.  In  the  prodigious  confusion  this 
place  is  now  in,  all  I  can  tell  now  is,  that  the 
troops  behaved  with  the  most  unexampled  bra- 
very, and  after  an  engagement  of  nearly  five 
hours,  we  forced  the  provincials  from  their  posts, 
redoubts,  and  intrenchments,  one  by  one.  This 
victory  has  cost  us  very  dear,  indeed,  as  we  have 
lost  some  of  the  best  officers  in  the  service,  and  a 
great  number  of  private  men.  Nor  do  I  see  that 
we  enjoy  one  solid  benefit  in  return,  or  are  likely 
to  reap  from  it  any  one  advantage  whatever.  We 
have,  indeed,  learned  one  melancholy  truth,  which 
is,  that  the  Americans,  if  they  were  equally  well 
commanded,  are  full  as  good  soldiers  as  ours ; 
and  as  it  is,  are  very  little  inferior  to  vis,  even  in 
discipline  and  steadiness  of  countenance.  This 
sudden,  unexpected  affair,  has  had,  however, 
one  good  effect  upon  me,  for  I  find  myself  much 
better. 

"  P.  S.  Since  I  wrote  the  above,  I  fell  into 
conversation  with  a  gentleman  who  was  present 
in  both  actions,  and  who  told  me  that  the  King's 
troops  must  have  been  totally  destroyed  in  each, 
had  the  provincials  known  their  own  strength, 
particularly  on  the  former's  return  from  Lexing- 
ton to  Boston,  on  the  19th  of  April." 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  117 

Extract  of  a  letter  from  an  officer  on  board  one  of 
the  King's  ships  at  Boston,  to  his  friend  in 
London,  dated  June  23,  1775. 
"  On  the  evening  of  the  sixteenth  we  were 
informed  that  the  provincials  were  erecting  a 
battery  on  the  Heights  near  Charlestown,  and 
that  they  intended  from  thence  to  bombard  the 
town  of  Boston.  Early  on  the  seventeenth,  we 
were  alarmed  with  an  account  that  they  had 
been  at  work  upon  it  all  night,  and  had  nearly 
completed  it.  We  Avere  immediately  ordered  to 
land  some  battalions,  and  in  the  meantime  our 
great  guns  were  fired  against  those  who  appeared 
to  be  busily  employed  at  the  battery.  Whether 
our  shot  did  not  reach  far  enough  to  create  any 
confusion  among  them,  or  it  was  owing  to  their 
resolution,  I  cannot  say;  but  certain  it  is,  that 
the  moment  they  discovered  the  landing  of  our 
troops,  they  formed  in  order  of  battle,  and  so  far 
from  retreating,  as  we  expected,  they  marched 
towards  us  with  the  utmost  coolness  and  regu- 
larity. Nothing  can  exceed  the  panic  and  appa- 
rent dislike  of  most  of  the  King's  troops  to  enter 
into  this  engagement ;  even  at  the  landing,  sev- 
eral attempted  to  run  away,  and  five  actually 
took  to  their  heels  in  order  to  join  the  Americans, 
but  were  presently  brought  back,  and  two  of  them 
were  immediately  hung  up  in  terrorem  to  the 
rest.  They,  for  the  most  part,  openly  express  a 
dislike  to  the  service  in  which  they  are  engaged, 


118  BATTLE    OF    BUNKKK    HILL. 

and  nothing  but  the  fear  of  military  punishment 
prevents  their  daily  deserting.  The  generals, 
perceiving  the  strength  and  order  of  the  provin- 
cials, ordered  a  reinforcement  to  join  the  troops 
already  landed,  but  before  they  came  up,  the  can- 
nonading on  both  sides  began.  The  provincials 
poured  down  like  a  torrent,  and  fought  like  men 
who  had  no  care  for  their  persons ;  they  disputed 
every  inch  of  ground,  and  their  numbers  were  far 
superior  to  ours.  The  King's  troops  gave  w^ay 
several  times,  and  it  required  the  utmost  efforts 
of  the  generals  to  rally  them.  At  the  beginning 
of  the  engagement,  many  of  them  absolutely 
turned  their  backs,  not  expecting  so  hot  a  fire 
from  the  Americans ;  the  latter  feigned  a  retreat, 
in  order,  as  we  suppose,  to  draw  our  troops  after 
them,  and  by  that  means  to  cut  them  in  pieces ; 
and  we  are  informed  that  General  Ward  had  a 
reserve  of  four  thousand  men  for  that  purpose. 
The  King's  troops,  concluding  that  the  Americans 
quitted  the  field  through  fear,  pursued  them  under 
that  apprehension,  but  did  not  proceed  far  enough 
to  be  convinced  by  that  fatal  experience,  which 
was,  as  we  hear,  designed  for  them,  of  their  mis- 
take. The  engagement  lasted  upwards  of  four 
hours,  and  ended  infinitely  to  our  disadv-antage. 
The  flower  of  our  army  are  killed  or  wounded. 
During  the  engagement,  Charlestown  was  set  on 
fire  by  the  King's  troops,  in  order  to  stop  the 
progress  of  the  provincials,  who,  after  their  sham 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  119 

retreat,  returned  to  attack  them  ;  but  I  think  it 
was  a  wanton  act  of  the  King's  troops,  who  cer- 
tainly, after  they  had  joined  the  main  body  of  our 
army,  had  no  occasion  to  take  that  method  of 
retarding  the  return  of  the  Americans,  who,  upon 
perceiving  that  General  Ward  stood  still  with  his 
reserve,  laid  aside  their  intentions. 

"  Our  troops  are  sickly,  and  a  great  number  are 
afflicted  with  the  scurvy,  occasioned  by  the  want 
of  fresh  provisions.  I  heartily  wish  myself  Avith 
you  and  the  rest  of  my  friends,  and  the  first  op- 
portunity that  offers,  I  will  sell  out  and  return,  for 
at  the  best,  only  disgrace  can  arise  in  the  service 
of  such  a  cause  as  that  in  which  we  are  engaged. 
The  Americans  are  not  those  poltroons  I  myself 
was  once  taught  to  believe  them  to  be  ;  they  are 
men  of  liberal  and  noble  sentiments ;  their  very 
characteristic  is  the  love  of  liberty ;  and  though  I 
am  an  officer  under  the  King  of  Great  Britain,  I 
tacitly  admire  their  resolution  and  perseverance 
against  the  present  oppressive  measures  of  the 
British  Government." 


Extract  of  a  letter  from  a  merchant  in  Boston  to 
his  brother  in  Scotland,  dated  June  24,  1775. 
"  From  the  nineteenth  of  April  to  the  seven- 
teenth of  June,  nothing  very  material  has  hap- 
pened.     On    the   twelfth   of  June    the    General 


120  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

issued  a  proclamation  offering  his  Majesty's  most 
gracious  pardon  to  all  who  would  lay  down  arms 
and  return  to  their  duty,  excepting  two  of  the 
ringleaders ;  and  likewise  establishing  martial 
law  in  this  province  while  this  unnatural  rebel- 
lion exists ;  but  no  regard  was  paid  to  this. 

"  On  the  seventeenth  instant,  at  daylight,  it  was 
observed  by  some  of  the  ships  of  war,  that  the 
rebels  had  thrown  up  an  intrenchment  on  a  hill 
on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  about  one  mile  from 
this  town.  The  alarm  about  this  new  movement 
of  theirs  was  general ;  for  from  this,  if  they  were 
suffered  to  go  on,  they  could  beat  down  or  burn 
the  town.  At  nine  o'clock,  a  battery  on  an  emi- 
nence in  this  town,  directly  opposite  to  their  works, 
began  to  play  upon  them,  but  found  they  could 
not  dislodge  them. 

"  The  rebels  fired  a  few  shots  into  this  town, 
and  then  desisted,  for  their  shot  did  no  execution. 
Eighteen  hundred  of  the  best  of  the  troops  were 
immediately  ordered  to  embark  on  board  of  boats 
and  go  and  engage  them,  under  the  command  of 
General  Howe.  About  three  o'clock  they  landed 
on  the  other  side,  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
rebels,  under  the  cover  of  five  or  six  ships  of  war, 
who  kept  a  continual  fire  on  the  ground  between 
the  place  of  landing  and  the  enemy,  who  chose  to 
lie  close  in  their  breastworks  all  this  time.  As 
soon  as  the  troops  had  got  themselves  in  order, 
they  began  to  advance,  cannonading  all  the  way 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  121 

till  they  came  within  gunshot.  Charlestown,  on 
the  foot  of  the  hill,  consisting  of  about  two  hun- 
dred houses,  was  set  on  fire  by  the  fort  on  this 
side,  at  the  instant  the  engagement  began,  whose 
flames  raged  in  the  most  rapid  manner,  being 
chiefly  of  Avood.  Sure  I  am,  nothing  ever  has 
been,  or  can  be,  more  dreadfully  terrible,  than 
what  was  to  be  seen  and  heard  at  this  time  !  The 
most  incessant  discharge  of  guns  that  ever  was 
heard  with  mortal  ears  continued  for  three  quar- 
ters of  an  hour,  and  then  the  troops  forced  their 
trenches,  and  the  rebels  fled. 

"  The  place  where  the  battle  was  fought,  is  a 
peninsula  of  a  mile  long,  and  a  half  broad,  and 
the  troops  drove  them  over  the  Neck  and  kept  the 
island.     All  this  was  seen  from  this  town. 

"  A  very  small  part  of  the  enemy's  intrench- 
ments  was  seen  on  this  side,  it  being  only  thought 
to  be  the  work  of  a  night ;  but  their  chief  breast- 
works were  on  the  other  side  of  the  hill ;  it  was 
found  to  be  the  strongest  post  that  was  ever  occu- 
pied by  any  set  of  men,  and  the  prisoners  that 
were  taken,  say  they  were  nine  thousand  strong,  [!] 
and  had  a  good  artillery.  [!]  Five  cannons  were 
taken.  The  spirit  and  bravery  that  the  British 
troops  exhibited  on  this  occasion,  I  suppose  is  not 
to  be  surpassed  in  any  history.  But  oh  !  the 
melancholy  sight  of  killed  and  wounded  that  was 
seen  on  that  day !  In  four  hours  after  their 
landing,  not  less  than  five  hundred  \vounded  were 
11 


122  BATTLK    OK    BT'NKKR    ItlLL. 

relanded  here,  and  one  hundred  and  forty  were 
left  dead  on  the  field,  amongst  whom  was  a  large 
proportion  of  brave  officers,  viz.,  thirty-six  killed, 
and  forty-four  wounded ;  three  hundred  of  the 
rebels  were  killed,  and  thirty-six  wounded  left  on 
the  field,  but  they  carried  off  great  numbers  of 
their  wounded  on  their  retreat.  To  the  great  sat- 
isfaction of  all  good  men,  Doctor  Warren  Avas 
slain,  who  was  one  of  their  first  and  greatest 
leaders. 

"  Early  next  morning  I  went  over  and  saw  the 
field  of  battle,  before  any  of  the  dead  were  buried, 
which  was  the  first  thing  of  the  sort  that  I  ev^er 
saw,  and  I  pray  God  I  may  never  have  the  oppor- 
tunity of  seeing  the  like  again.  The  rebels  are 
employed  since  that  day  fortifying  all  the  hills 
and  passes  within  four  miles,  to  prevent  the  troops 
from  advancing  into  the  country.  We  hourly 
expect  the  troops  to  make  a  movement  against 
them,  but  they  are  too  few  in  number,  not  less 
than  twenty  thousand  being  equal  to  the  task. 
I  cannot  help  mentioning  one  thing,  which  serves 
to  show  the  hellish  disposition  of  the  accursed 
rebels:  by  parcels  of  ammunition  that  were  left 
on  the  field,  their  balls  were  all  found  to  be 
poisoned.  [!] 

"  Thus,  brother,  I  have  endeavored  to  give  you 
a  short  account  of  the  desperate  state  of  matters 
here  since  my  last,  and  shall  sum  up  the  whole 
with  one  single  observation,  viz.,  the  delusion  that 


BATTLE     OP    BUNKER    HILL.  123 

reigns  here  is  as  universal  and.  as  deeply  rooted 
as  can  be  found  in  the  annals  of  mankind ;  and 
of  all  other  rebellions  that  ever  existed  in  the 
world,  it  is  the  most  unprovoked. 

"  I  am,  &c." 


[The  following  letter,  written  by  Henry  Hulton, 
Esq.,  Commissioner  of  his  Majesty's  Customs 
at  Boston,  is  a  precious  specimen  of  that  arro- 
gance and  impertinence  with  much  of  which 
our  fathers  were  insulted.  Let  the  reader  mark 
the  amiable  spirit  of  the  writer  when  he  reasons 
that  it  is  a  dreadful  thing  to  kill  Englishmen, 
or  to  make  English  widows  and  orphans,  but 
that  to  do  the  same  with  regard  to  Americans 
is  but  a  pleasant  pastime.] 

"  Boston,  June  20,  1775. 
"  Dear  Sir  :  1  had  the  favor  of  a  letter  from 
you  about  two  months  ago.  For  these  two  months 
past  our  situation  has  been  critical  and  alarming, 
the  town  being  blockaded,  and  the  whole  country 
in  arms  all  around  us.  The  people  have  not 
only  cut  us  off  from  all  supplies,  but  they  do  their 
utmost  to  prevent  any  kind  of  provision  being 
brought  us  from  the  neighboring  ports ;  and  as  we 
were  surprised  into  these  circumstances,  I  wonder 
we  have  held  out  so  long  as  we  have  done.  We 
have  bread,  salt  meat,  and  fresh  fish,  and  there 


124  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

appears  no  distress  for  want  of  subsistence 
Many  thousands  of  the  inhabitants  abandoned 
their  dwellings,  in  apprehension  that  a  speedy 
destruction  would  fall  on  the  place ;  and,  indeed, 
we  have  been  wonderfully  preserved.  The  affair 
of  the  19th  of  April  prevented  the  execution  of  a 
diabolical  plot,  and  had  not  the  troops  gone  out 
on  the  17th  instant,  it  is  probable  that  the  town  at 
this  hour  would  have  been  in  ashes.  The  rein- 
forcement to  the  army  from  England  came  very 
timely,  for  the  generals  only  awaited  the  arrival 
of  these  regiments  to  enter  upon  action. 

"  We  are  now  very  anxious  for  the  arrival  of 
the  second  division,  and  I  am  afraid  it  will  be 
necessary  to  have  another  to  that,  before  the  army 
can  operate  effectually  round  this  place.  The 
country  is  very  strong  by  nature,  and  the  rebels 
have  possessed  themselves  of  all  the  advantageous 
posts,  and  have  thrown  up  intrenchments  in  many 
parts.  From  the  heights  of  this  place,  we  have 
a  view  of  the  whole  town,  the  harbor,  and  country 
round  for  a  great  extent,  and  last  Saturday  I  was 
a  spectator  of  a  most  awful  scene  my  eyes  eA'er 
beheld.  On  the  morning  of  the  17th,  it  was  ob- 
served that  the  rebels  had  thrown  up  a  breast- 
work, and  were  preparing  to  open  a  battery  upon 
the  Heights  above  Charlestown,  from  whence 
they  might  incommode  the  shipping,  and  destroy 
the  north  part  of  Boston.  Immediately  a  cannon- 
ading began  from  the  battery  in  the  north  part  of 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  125 

the  town  and  the  ships  of  war,  on  those  works, 
and  on  the  enemy,  wherever  they  could  be  dis- 
covered within  reach  of  their  guns.  Soon  after 
eleven  o'clock,  the  grenadiers,  light  infantry,  ma- 
rines, and  two  battalions  marched  out  of  their 
encampments,  and  embarked  in  boats,  and  before 
high  water  were  landed  on  a  point  of  land  to  the 
eastward  of  Charlestown,  and  they  immediately 
took  post  on  a  little  eminence.  Great  was  our 
trepidation  lest  they  should  be  attacked  by  supe- 
rior numbers,  before  they  could  be  all  assembled 
and  properly  prepared,  but  more  boats  arrived, 
and  the  wdiole  advanced,  some  on  the  other  side, 
round  the  hill  where  the  battery  was  erected,  and 
some  through  part  of  Charlestown.  On  that  side 
of  the  hill  which  was  not  visible  from  Boston,  it 
seems  very  strong  lines  were  thrown  up,  and 
were  occupied  by  many  thousands  of  the  rebels. 
The  troops  advanced  with  great  ardor  towards 
the  intrenchments,  but  were  much  galled  in  the 
assault,  both  from  the  artillery  and  the  small  arms, 
and  many  brave  officers  and  men  were  killed  and 
wounded.  As  soon  as  they  got  to  the  intrench- 
ments, the  rebels  fled,  and  many  of  them  were 
killed  in  the  trenches  and  in  their  flight.  The 
marines,  in  marching  through  part  of  Charles- 
town, were  fired  at  from  the  houses,  and  there 
fell  their  brave  commander.  Major  Pitcairn.  His 
son  was  likewise  wounded.  Hearing  his  father 
was  killed,  he  cried  out,  '  I  have  lost  my  father;' 


126 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 


immediately  the  corps  returned,  '  We  have  lost 
our  father.'  How  glorious  to  die  with  such  an 
epitaph ! 

"  Upon  the  firing  from  the  houses,  the  town 
was  immediately  set  in  flames,  and  at  four  o'clock, 
we  saw  the  fire  and  the  sword,  all  the  horrors  of 
war  raging.  The  town  Avas  burning  all  the 
night;  the  rebels  sheltered  themselves  in  the  adja- 
cent hills,  and  the  neighborhood  of  Cambridge, 
and  the  army  possessed  themselves  of  Charles- 
town  Neck.  We  were  exulting  in  seeing  the 
flight  of  our  enemies,  but  in  an  hour  or  two  we 
had  occasion  to  mourn  and  lament.  Dear  was 
the  purchase  of  our  safety  !  In  the  evening  the 
streets  were  filled  with  the  wounded  and  the  dy- 
ing ;  the  sight  of  which,  with  the  lamentations  of 
the  women  and  children  over  their  husbands  and 
fathers,  pierced  one  to  the  soul.  We  were  now 
every  moment  hearing  of  some  officer,  or  other 
of  our  friends  and  acquaintance,  who  had  fallen 
in  our  defence,  and  in  supporting  the  honor  of 
our  country.  General  Howe  had  his  aid-de- 
camp wounded,  who  is  since  dead.  The  Major 
and  three  Captains  of  the  52nd  were  killed,  or 
died  of  their  wounds, — most  of  the  grenadiers 
and  light  infantry,  and  about  eighty  officers,  are 
killed  and  wounded.  The  rebels  have  occupied 
a  hill  about  a  mile  from  Charlestown  Neck  ;  they 
are  very  numerous,  and  have  thrown  up  intrench- 
ments,  and  are  raising  a  redoubt   on  the  higher 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL,  127 

part,  whilst  the  ships  and  troops  cannonade  them 
wherever  they  can  reach  them.  In  the  same 
manner,  on  the  other  side  of  Boston  Neck,  on  the 
high  ground  above  Roxbury  meeting  [house,]  the 
rebels  are  intrenching  and  raising  a  battery. 
Such  is  our  present  situation.  In  this  army  are 
many  of  noble  family,  many  very  respectable, 
virtuous,  and  amiable  characters,  and  it  grieves 
one,  that  gentlemen,  brave  British  soldiers,  should 
fall  by  the  hands  of  such  despicable  wretches  as 
compose  the  banditti  of  the  country;  amongst 
whom  there  is  not  one  that  has  the  least  preten- 
sion to  be  called  a  gentleman.  They  are  a  most 
rude,  depraved,  degenerate  race,  and  it  is  a  mor- 
tification to  us  that  they  speak  English,  and  can 
trace  themselves  from  that  stock. 

"  Since  Adams  went  to  Philadelphia,  one  War- 
ren, a  rascally  patriot  and  apothecary  of  this 
town,  has  had  the  l^ad  in  the  Provincial  Con- 
gress. He  signed  commissions,  and  acted  as 
President.  This  fellow  happily  was  killed,  in 
coming  out  of  the  trenches  the  other  day,  where 
he  had  commanded  and  spirited  the  people,  &c., 
to  defend  the  lines,  which,  he  assured  them,  were 
impregnable.  You  may  judge  what  the  herd 
must  be  when  such  a  one  is  their  leader.  Here 
it  is  only  justice  to  say  that  there  are  many  wor- 
thy people  in  this  province,  but  that  the  chief  of 
them  are  now  in  Boston,  and  that  amongst  the 


128  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

gentlemen  of  the  Council,  particularly,  are  many 
respectable  and  worthy  characters. 

"  I  beg  my  compliments  to  Mrs.  N.  and  all 
friends  with  you,  and  remain,  with  great  regard, 
"  Dear  sir,  yours, 

»  H.  H." 
[Henry  Hulton,  Commissioner  of  the  Customs 
at  Boston.] 


PART  II. 
AMERICAN  DOCUMENTS. 

In   Massachusetts    Committee   of    Safety,    Cam- 
bridge, June  15,  1775. 

"  Whereas,  it  appears  of  importance  to  the 
safety  of  this  colony,  that  possession  of  the  Hill 
called  Bunker's  Hill,  in  Charlestown,  be  securely 
kept  and  defended,  and  also  some  one  hill  or  hills 
on  Dorchester  Neck  be  likewise  secured;  therefore, 

"  Resolved,  unanimously,  That  it  be  recom- 
mended to  the  Council  of  War,  that  the  above 
mentioned  Bunker's  Hill  be  maintained  by  suffi- 
cient force  being  posted  there  ;  and  as  the  partic- 
ular situation  of  Dorchester  Neck  is  unknown  to 
this  Committee,  they  desire  that  the  Council  of 
War  take  and  pursue  such  steps  respecting  the 
same,  as  to  them  shall  appear  to  be  for  the  secu- 
rity of  this  colony." 

"  June  17,  1775. 

"  The  following  order  was  issued  to  the  towns 
in  the  vicinity  of  Boston. 

"  To  the  Selectmen  of  the  town  of 

"  Gentlemen :    You   are   ordered   instantly  to 


130  BATTLE    OF    BUiNKKK    HILL. 

send  all  the  town  stock  of  powder  you  have  to 
the  town  of  Watertown,  saving  enough  to  furnish 
one  pound  to  each  soldier." 

"  July  IS,  1775. 

"  This  Committee  have  with  gTeat  concern 
considered  the  advantages  our  enemies  will  de- 
rive from  General  Gage's  misrepresentations  of 
the  battle  of  Charlestown,  unless  counteracted  by 
the  truth  of  that  day's  transactions  being  fairly 
and  honestly  represented  to  our  friends  and  others 
in  Great  Britain  ;  therefore, 

"  Resolved,  That  it  be  humbly  recommended  to 
the  honorable  Congress  now  sitting  at  Water- 
town,  to  appoint  a  committee  to  draw  up  and 
transmit  to  Great  Britain,  as  soon  as  possible,  a 
fair,  honest,  and  impartial  account  of  the  late 
battle  of  Charlestown,  on  the  17th  ultimo,  so  that 
our  friends  and  others  in  that  part  of  the  world, 
may  not  be  in  any  degree  imposed  upon  by 
General  Gage's  misrepresentations  of  that  day's 
transactions,  and  that  they  also  be  a  Standing 
Committee  for  that  purpose." 

"July  11,  1775. 
"  The  honorable,  the  Congress  of  this  colony, 
having  passed  a  resolve  that  this  Committee  be 
appointed  to  draw  up  and  transmit  to  Great  Brit- 
ain a  fair  and  impartial  account  of  the  late  battle 
of  Charlestown,  as  soon  as  possible ;   this  Com- 


BATTLK    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  131 

mittee  being  exceedingly  crowded  with  business ; 
therefore, 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Rev.  Dr.  Cooper,  Rev. 
Mr.  Gardner,  and  the  Rev.  Mr.  Peter  Thacher,  be 
desired  to  draw  up  a  true  state  of  said  action,  as 
soon  as  maybe,  and  lay  it  before  this  Committee." 

In  Committee  of  Safety,  July  25,  1775. 
"  In  obedience  to  the  above  order  of  Congress, 
this  Committee  have  inquired  into  the  premises, 
and  upon  the  best  information  obtained,  find  that 
the  commanders  of  the  New  England  army,  had, 
about  the  14th  ult.,  received  advice  that  General 
Gage  had  issued  orders  for  a  party  of  the  troops 
under  his  command  to  post  themselves  on  Bunker's 
Hill,  a  promontory  just  at  the  entrance  of  the 
peninsula  of  Chariestown,  which  orders  were 
soon  to  be  executed.  Upon  which  it  was  deter- 
mined, with  the  advice  of  this  Committee,  to  send 
a  party,  who  might  erect  some  fortifications  upon 
said  hill,  and  defeat  this  design  of  our  enemies. 
Accordingly,  on  the  16th  ult.,  orders  were  issued 
that  a  detachment  of  one  thousand  men  should 
that  evening  march  to  Chariestown,  and  intrench 
upon  that  hill.  Just  before  nine  o'clock  they  left 
Cambridge,  and  proceeded  to  Breed's  Hill,  situ- 
ated on  the  farther  part  of  the  peninsula  next 
to  Boston ;  for,  by  some  mistake,  this  hill  was 
marked  out  for  the  intrenchment  instead  of  the 
other.     Many  things  being  necessary  to  be  done 


132  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

preparatory  to  the  intrenchments  being  thrown 
up,  (which  could  not  be  done  before,  lest  the 
enemy  should  discover  and  defeat  the  design,)  it 
was  nearly  twelve  o'clock,  before  the  works  were 
entered  upon ;  they  were  then  carried  on  with 
the  utmost  diligence  and  alacrity,  so  that  by  the 
dawn  of  the  day  they  had  thrown  up  a  small 
redoubt,  about  eight  rods  square.  At  this  time  a 
heavy  fire  began  from  the  enemy's  ships,  a  num- 
ber of  floating  batteries,  and  from  a  fortification 
of  the  enemy's  upon  Copp's  Hill,  in  Boston, 
directly  opposite  to  our  little  redoubt.  An  inces- 
sant shower  of  shot  and  bombs  was  rained  by 
these  upon  our  Avorks,  by  which  only  one  man 
fell ;  the  provincials  continued  to  labor  indefati- 
gably  till  they  had  thrown  up  a  small  breastwork, 
extending  from  the  east  side  of  the  redoubt  to  the 
bottom  of  the  hill,  but  were  prevented  completing 
it  by  the  intolerable  fire  of  the  enemy. 

"  Between  twelve  and  one  o'clock,  a  number  of 
boats  and  barges,  filled  with  the  regular  troops 
from  Boston,  were  observed  approaching  towards 
Charlestown.  These  troops  landed  at  a  place 
called  Morton's  Point,  situated  a  little  to  the  east- 
ward of  our  works.  This  brigade  formed  upon 
their  landing,  and  stood  thus  formed  till  a  second 
detachment  arrived  from  Boston  to  join  them. 
Having  sent  out  large  flank  guards,  they  began  a 
very  slow  march  towards  our  lines.  At  this 
instant  smoke  and  flames  were  seen  to  arise  from 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  133 

the  town  of  Charlestown,  which  had  been  set  on 
fire  by  the  enemy,  that  the  smoke  might  cover 
their  attack  upon  our  lines,  and  perhaps  with  a 
design  to  rout  or  destroy  one  or  two  regiments  of 
provincials  who  had  been  posted  in  that  town. 
If  either  of  these  was  their  design,  they  Avere 
disappointed,  for  the  wind,  shifting  on  a  sudden, 
carried  the  smoke  another  way,  and  the  regi- 
ments were  already  removed.  The  provincials, 
within  their  intrenchments,  impatiently  awaited 
the  attack  of  the  enemy,  and  reserved  their  fire 
till  they  came  within  ten  or  twelve  rods,  and  then 
began  a  furious  discharge  of  small  arms.  This 
fire  arrested  the  enemy,  which  they  for  some  time 
returned,  without  advancing  a  step,  and  then  re- 
treated in  disorder,  and  with  great  precipitation, 
to  the  place  of  landing  ;  and  some  of  them  sought 
refuge  even  within  their  boats.  Here  the  officers 
were  observed,  by  the  spectators  on  the  opposite 
shore,  to  run  down  to  them,  using  the  most  pas- 
sionate gestures,  and  pushing  the  men  forward 
with  their  swords.  At  length  they  were  rallied, 
and  marched  up  with  apparent  reluctance  towards 
the  intrenchment.  The  Americans  again  reserved 
their  fire  until  the  enemy  came  up  within  five  or 
six  rods,  and  a  second  time  put  the  regulars  to 
flight,  who  ran  in  great  confusion  towards  their 
boats.  Similar  and  superior  exertions  were  now 
necessarily  made  by  the  officers,  which,  notwith- 
standing the  men  discovered  an  almost  insuper- 
12 


134  BATTI-E    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

able  reluctance  to  fighting  in  this  cause,  were 
again  successful.  They  formed  once  more,  and 
having  brought  some  cannon  to  bear  in  such  a 
manner  as  to  rake  the  inside  of  the  breastwork 
from  one  end  of  it  to  the  other,  the  provincials 
retreated  within  their  little  fort.  The  ministerial 
army  now  made  a  decisive  effort ;  the  fire  from 
the  ships  and  batteries,  as  well  as  from  the  can- 
non in  front  of  their  army,  was  redoubled.  The 
officers  in  the  rear  of  their  army  were  observed  to 
goad  forward  the  men  with  renewed  exertions, 
and  they  attacked  the  redoubt  on  three  sides  at 
once.  The  breastwork  on  the  outside  of  the  fort 
was  abandoned;  the  ammunition  of  the  provin- 
cials was  expended,  and  few  of  their  arms  were 
fixed  with  bayonets.  Can  it  then  be  wondered 
that  the  word  was  given  by  the  commander  of 
the  party,  to  retreat  ?  But  this  he  delayed  till 
the  redoubt  was  half  filled  with  regulars,  and 
the  provincials  had  kept  the  enemy  at  bay  some 
time,  confronting  them  with  the  butt  end  of  their 
muskets. 

"  The  retreat  of  this  little  handful  of  brave  men 
would  have  been  effectually  cut  off,  had  it  not 
happened  that  the  flanking  party  of  the  enemy, 
which  was  to  have  come  up  on  the  back  of  the 
redoubt,  was  checked  by  a  party  of  provincials, 
who  fought  with  the  utmost  bravery,  and  kept 
them  from  advancing  farther  than  the  beach. 
The  engagement  of  these  two  parties  was  kept 


BATTLE    Of    BUNKER    HILL.  135 

up  with  the  utmost  vigor  ;  and  it  must  be  ac- 
knowledged that  this  party  of  the  ministerial 
troops  evidenced  a  courage  worthy  of  a  better 
cause.  All  their  efforts,  however,  were  insuffi- 
cient to  compel  the  provincials  to  retreat,  till  their 
main  body  had  left  the  hill.  Perceiving  this  was 
done,  they  then  gave  ground,  but  with  more  reg- 
ularity than  could  be  expected  of  troops  who  had 
no  longer  been  under  discipline,  and  many  of 
whom  never  before  saw  an  engagement. 

"  In  this  retreat,  the  Americans  had  to  pass 
over  the  Neck,  which  joins  the  peninsula  of 
Charlestown  to  the  main  land.  This  Neck  was 
commanded  by  the  Glasgow  man-of-war,  and  two 
floating  batteries,  placed  in  such  a  manner  as  that 
their  shot  raked  every  part  of  it.  The  incessant 
fire  kept  up  across  this  Neck,  had,  from  the 
beginning  of  the  engagement,  prevented  any  con- 
siderable reinforcement  from  getting  to  the  pro- 
vincials upon  the  hill,  and  it  was  feared  would 
cut  off  their  retreat,  but  they  retired  over  it  with 
little  or  no  loss. 

"  With  a  ridiculous  parade  of  triumph,  the 
ministerial  troops  again  took  possession  of  the 
hill,  which  had  served  them  as  a  retreat  in  their 
flight  from  the  battle  of  Concord.  It  was  ex- 
pected that  they  would  prosecute  the  supposed 
advantage  they  had  gained,  by  marching  imme- 
diately to  Cambridge,  which  was  distant  about 
two  miles,  and  which  was  not  then  in  a  state  of 


136  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

defence.  This  they  failed  to  do.  The  wonder 
excited  by  such  conduct  soon  ceased,  when,  by 
the  best  accounts  from  Boston,  we  were  told  that 
of  three  thousand  men  who  marched  out  upon 
this  expedition,  no  less  than  fifteen  hundred 
(ninety-two  of  whom  were  commissioned  officers,) 
were  killed  or  wounded,  and  about  twelve  hun- 
dred of  them  either  killed  or  mortally  wounded. 
Such  a  slaughter  was  perhaps  never  before  made 
upon  British  troops  in  the  space  of  about  an  hour, 
during  which  the  heat  of  the  engagement  lasted, 
by  about  fifteen  hundred  men,  which  were  the 
most  that  were  at  any  time  engaged  on  the  Amer- 
ican side. 

"  The  loss  of  the  New  England  army  amounted, 
according  to  an  exact  return,  to  one  hundred  and 
forty-five  killed  and  missing,  and  three  hundred 
and  four  wounded.  Thirty  of  the  first  were 
wounded  and  taken  prisoners  by  the  enemy. 
Among  the  dead  was  Major  General  Joseph  War- 
ren ;  a  man  whose  memory  will  be  endeared  to 
his  countrymen,  and  to  the  worthy  in  ever)'  part 
and  age  of  the  world,  so  long  as  virtue  and  valor 
shall  be  esteemed  among  mankind.  The  heroic 
Colonel  Gardner,  of  Cambridge,  has  since  died 
of  his  wounds ;  and  the  brave  Lieut.  Colonel 
Parker,  of  Chelmsford,  who  was  wounded  and 
taken  prisoner,  perished  in  Boston  jail.  These 
three,  with  Major  Moore,  and  Major  McClary, 
who  nobly  struggled  in  the  cause  of  their  coun- 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  137 

try,  were  the  only  officers  of  distinction  which  we 
lost.  Some  officers  of  great  worth,  though  infe- 
rior in  rank,  were  killed,  whom  we  deeply  lament ; 
but  the  officers  and  soldiers  in  general  who  were 
wounded,  are  in  a  fair  way  of  recovery. 

"  The  town  of  Charlestown,  the  buildings  of 
which  were  in  general  large  and  elegant,  and 
which  contained  effects  belonging  to  the  unhappy 
sufferers  in  Boston,  to  a  very  great  amount,  was 
entirely  destroyed ;  and  its  chimneys  and  cellars 
now  present  a  prospect  to  the  Americans,  exciting 
an  indignation  in  their  bosoms  which  nothing  can 
appease  but  the  sacrifice  of  those  miscreants  who 
have  introduced  desolation  and  havoc  into  these 
once  happy  abodes  of  liberty,  peace  and  plenty. 

"  Though  the  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  min- 
isterial army  meanly  exult  in  having  gained  this 
ground,  yet  they  cannot  but  attest  to  the  bravery 
of  our  troops,  and  acknowledge  that  the  battles  of 
Fontenoy  and  Minden,  according  to  the  numbers 
engaged,  and  the  time  the  engagement  continued, 
were  not  to  be  compared  with  this ;  and,  indeed, 
the  laurels  of  Minden  were  totally  blasted  in  the 
battle  of  Charlestown.  The  ground  purchased  thus 
dearly  by  the  British  troops,  affords  them  no  ad- 
vantage against  the  American  army,  now  strongly 
intrenched  on  a  neighboring  eminence.  The 
Continental  troops,  nobly  animated  from  the  just- 
ice of  their  cause,  sternly  urge  to  decide  the  con- 
test by  the  sword ;  but  we  wish  for  no  farther 
12* 


138  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

effusion  of  blood,  if  the  freedom  and  peace  of 
America  can  be  secured  without  it.  But  if  it 
must  be  otherwise,  we  are  determined  to  struggle. 
We  disdain  life  without  liberty. 

"  O,  Britons  !  be  wise  for  yourselves  before  it 
is  too  late,  and  secure  a  commercial  intercourse 
with  the  American  colonies  before  it  is  forever 
lost ;  disarm  your  ministerial  assassins ;  put  an 
end  to  this  unrighteous  and  unnatural  war,  and 
suffer  not  any  rapacious  despots  to  amuse  you 
with  the  unprofitable  ideas  of  your  right  to  tax 
and  officer  the  colonies,  till  the  most  profitable 
and  advantageous  trade  you  have  is  irrecoverably 
lost.  Be  wise  for  yourselves,  and  the  Americans 
will  contribute  to  and  rejoice  in  your  prosperity. 
"  J.  Palmer,  per  order.'' 


"  In  regard  to  what  I  know  of  the  setting  fire 
to  Charlestown,  on  the  17th  of  June,  is — I  was 
on  Copp's  Hill,  at  the  landing  of  the  troops  in 
Charlestown ;  and  about  one  hour  after  the  troops 
were  landed,  orders  came  down  to  set  fire  to  the 
town,  and  soon  after  a  carcass  was  discharged 
from  the  Hill,  which  set  fire  to  one  of  the  old 
houses,  just  above  the  ferry-ways ;  from  that,  the 
meeting-house  and  several  other  houses  were  set 
on  fire  by  carcasses  ;  and  the  houses  at  the  eastern 
end  of  the  town  were  set  on  fire  by  men  landed 
out  of  the  boats.  William  Cockran." 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  139 

"  Middlesex  ss.,  August  16,  1775. 
"  Then  William  Cockran  personally  appeared 
before  me,  the  subscriber,  and  made  solemn  oath 
to  the  truth  of  the  within  deposition. 

"  James  Otis, 
^  A  Justice  of  the  Peace,  through  the  Province  of 
\      Massachusetts  Bay,  in  New  E?igland." 


[The  foregoing  account  of  the  battle  of  Charles- 
town  was  transmitted  to  London,  soon  after  the 
date,  accompanied  with  a  letter  to  Arthur  Lee, 
Esq.,  of  which  the  following  is  a  copy,  viz.  :] 

"  In  Committee  of  Safety,  Watertown,  July  25, 
1775. 
"  Sir  :  The  Committee  of  Safety  of  this  Colo- 
ny, having  been  ordered  by  the  honorable  Provin- 
cial Congress  to  draw  up  and  transmit  to  Great 
Britain  a  fair  and  impartial  account  of  the  late 
battle   of   Charlestown,  beg  leave  to  enclose  the 
same  to  you,  desiring  you  to  insert  the  same  in 
the  public  papers,  so  that    the   European    world 
may  be  convinced  of  the  causeless  and  unexam- 
pled cruelty  with  which  the  British  ministry  have 
treated  the  innocent  American  Colonies. 
"  We  are,  sir,  with  great  respect, 

your  most  humble  servant, 

"  J.  Palmer,  per  order. 
"  To  Arthur  Lee,  Esq.,  at  London." 


140  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

"  In  Massachusetts  Provincial  Congress,  June  20 
1775. 
"  The  committee  appointed  to  prepare  a  letter 
to  the  Continental  Congress,  reported.  The  report 
was  read,  paragraph  by  paragraph,  and  accepted, 
and  ordered  to  be  transcribed,  authenticated,  and 
sent  forward,  and  is  as  follows : 

"  To   the    Honorable,  the  Continental  Congress, 
now  sitting  at  Philadelphia. 

"  May  it  please  your  honors  : 

"  We  think  it  our  indispensable  duty  to  inform 
you  that  reinforcements  from  Ireland,  both  of 
horse  and  foot,  being  arrived,  (the  number  un- 
known,) and  having  good  intelligence  that  General 
Gage  was  about  to  take  possession  of  the  advan- 
tageous posts  in  Charlestown  and  on  Dorchester 
Point,  the  Committee  of  Safety  advised  that  our 
troops  should  prepossess  them,  if  possible.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  Friday  evening,  the  16th  instant, 
this  was  effected  by  about  twelve  hundred  men. 
About  daylight  on  Saturday  morning  their  line 
of  circumvallation,  on  a  small  hill  south  of  Bun- 
ker's Hill,  in  Charlestown,  was  closed.  At  this 
time  the  Lively,  man-of-war,  began  to  fire  upon 
them.  A  number  of  our  enemy's  ships,  tenders, 
cutters  and  scows,  or  floating  batteries,  soon  came 
up,  from  all  which  the  fire  was  general  by  twelve 
o'clock.  About  two  the  enemy  began  to  land  at 
a  point  which  leads  out  towards  Noddle's  Island, 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  141 

and  immediately  marched  up  to  our  mtrench- 
ments,  from  which  they  were  twice  repulsed ;  but 
in  the  third  attack  forced  them.  Our  forces, 
which  were  in  the  lines,  as  well  as  those  sent  for 
their  support,  were  greatly  annoyed  on  every 
side,  by  balls  and  bombs  from  Copp's  Hill,  the 
ships,  scows,  &c.  At  this  time  the  buildings  in 
Charlestown  appeared  in  flames,  in  almost  every 
quarter,  kindled  by  red-hot  balls,  and  are  since 
laid  in  ashes.  Though  this  scene  was  most  hor- 
rible, and  altogether  new  to  most  of  our  men,  yet 
many  stood,  and  received  wounds  by  swords  and 
bayonets,  before  they  quitted  their  lines.  At  five 
o'clock  the  enemy  were  in  full  possession  of  all 
the  posts  within  the  isthmus.  In  the  evening 
and  the  night  following.  General  Ward  extended 
his  intrenchments  before  made  at  the  stone  house, 
over  Winter  Hill.  About  six  o'clock,  P.  M.,  of 
the  same  day,  the  enemy  began  to  cannonade 
Roxbury  from  Boston  Neck,  and  elsewhere,  Avhich 
they  continued  twenty-four  hours  with  little  spirit 
and  less  effect. 

"  The  number  of  killed  and  missing,  on  our 
side,  is  not  known,  but  supposed  by  some  to  be 
about  sixty  or  seventy,  and  by  some  considerably 
above  that  number.  Our  most  worthy  friend  and 
President,  Doctor  Warren,  lately  elected  a  Major 
General,  is  among  them.  This  loss  we  feel  most 
sensibly.  Lieut.  Colonel  Parker,  and  Major 
Moore,  of  this  Colony,  and  Major  McClary,  from 


142  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

New  Hampshire,  are  also  dead.  Three  colonels, 
and  perhaps  one  hundred  men,  are  wounded. 
The  loss  of  the  enemy  is  doubtless  great.  By 
an  anonymous  letter  from  Boston,  we  are  told 
that  they  exult  much  in  having  gained  the  ground, 
though  their  killed  and  wounded  amount  to  about 
one  thousand ;  but  this  account  exceeds  every 
other  estimation.  The  number  they  had  engaged 
is  supposed  to  be  between  three  and  four  thousand. 
If  any  error  has  been  made  on  our  side,  it  was  in 
taking  a  post  so  much  exposed." 

[The  above  was  received  and  read  in  the  Con* 
tinental  Congress,  June  27.] 


"  Account  of  an  engagement  at  Charlestown,  be- 
tween about  three  thousand  of  the  King's  regu- 
lar troops,  and  about  half  that  number  of  Pro- 
vincials, on  Saturday,  the  17th  of  June,  1775. 

"  On  Friday  night,  June  sixteenth,  fifteen  hun- 
dred of  the  provincials  went  to  Bunker's  Hill,  in 
order  to  intrench  there,  and  continued  intrench- 
ing till  Saturday,  at  ten  o'clock,  when  two  thou- 
sand regulars  marched  out  of  Boston,  landed  in 
Charlestown,  and,  plundering  it  of  all  its  valuable 
effects,  set  fire  to  it  in  ten  different  places  at  once. 
Then  dividing  their  army,  one  part  of  it  marched 
up  in  front  of  the  provincials'  intrenchments, 
and  began  to  attack  the  provincials  at  long  shot ; 
the  other  part  of  the  army  marched  round   the 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  143 

town  of  Charlestown,  under  cover  of  the  smoke 
occasioned  by  the  town.  The  provincial  sentries 
discovered  the  regulars  marching  upon  their  left 
wing.  Upon  notice  of  this,  given  by  the  sentry 
to  the  Connecticut  forces  posted  on  that  wing, 
Captain  Nolton  [Knowlton]  of  Ashford,  with  four 
hundred  of  said  forces,  immediately  repaired  to 
and  pulled  up  a  post  and  rail  fence,  and  carrying 
the  posts  and  rails  to  another  fence,  put  them 
together  for  a  breastwork.  Captain  Nolton  gave 
orders  to  the  men  not  to  fire  till  the  enemy  had 
got  within  fifteen  rods,  and  then  not  till  the  word 
was  given.  At  the  word  being  given,  the  enemy 
fell  surprisingly.  It  was  thought,  by  spectators 
who  stood  at  a  distance,  that  our  men  did  great 
execution.  The  action  continued  about  two  hours, 
when  the  regulars  on  the  right  wing  were  put 
into  confusion  and  gave  way.  The  Connecticut 
troops  closely  pursued  them,  and  were  on  the 
point  of  pushing  their  bayonets,  when  orders  were 
received  from  General  Pomeroy,  for  those  who 
had  been  in  action  two  hours,  to  fall  back,  and 
their  places  to  be  supplied  by  fresh  forces.  These 
orders  being  mistaken  for  a  direction  to  retreat, 
our  troops  on  the  right  wing  began  a  general 
retreat,  which  was  handed  to  the  left,  the  princi- 
pal place  of  action,  where  Captains  Nolton,  Ches- 
ter, Clarke  and  Putnam,  had  forced  the  enemy 
to  give  way  and  retire  before  them  for  some  con- 
siderable distance,   and  being   warmly  pursuing 


144  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

the  enemy,  were  with  difficulty  persuaded  to 
retire ;  but  the  right  wing,  by  mistaking  the 
orders,  having  already  retired,  the  left,  to  avoid 
being  encircled,  were  obliged  to  retreat ;  and,  with 
the  main  body,  they  retreated  with  precipitation 
across  the  causeway  to  Winter  Hill,  in  which 
they  were  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy  from 
their  shipping  and  floating  batteries. 

We  sustained  our  principal  loss  in  passing  the 
causeway.  The  enemy  pursued  our  troops  to 
Winter  Hill,  where  the  provincials,  being  rein- 
forced by  General  Putnam,  renewed  the  battle 
with  great  spirit,  repulsed  the  enemy  with  great 
slaughter,  and  pursued  them  till  they  got  under 
cover  of  their  cannon  from  the  shipping,  when 
the  enemy  retreated  to  Bunker's  Hill,  and  the 
provincials  to  Winter  Hill,  where,  after  intrench- 
ing and  erecting  batteries,  they  on  Monday  began 
to  fire  upon  the  regulars  on  Bunker's  Hill,  and 
on  the  ships  and  the  floating  batteries  in  the  har- 
bor, when  the  express  came  away.  The  number 
of  the  provincials  killed  is  between  forty  and 
seventy ;  one  hundred  and  forty  wounded ;  of 
the  Connecticut  troops  sixteen  were  killed  ;  no 
officer  among  them  was  either  killed  or  wounded, 
except  Lieutenant  Grosvenor,  who  is  wounded  in 
the  hand.  A  colonel  or  lieutenant  colonel  of  the 
New  Hampshire  forces  is  among  the  dead.  It  is 
also  said  that  Dr.  Warren  is  undoubtedly  among 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  145 

the  slain.  The  provincials  lost  three  iron  six 
pounders,  some  intrenching  tools,  and  knapsacks. 

"  The  number  of  regulars  that  first  attacked  the 
provincials  on  Bunker's  Hill,  was  not  less  than 
two  thousand.  The  number  of  provincials  was 
only  fifteen  hundred,  who,  it  is  supposed,  Avould 
soon  have  gained  a  complete  victory,  had  it  not 
been  for  the  unhappy  mistake  already  mentioned. 
The  regulars  were  afterwards  reinforced  with  a 
thousand  men.  It  is  uncertain  how  great  a  num- 
ber of  the  enemy  were  killed  or  wounded  ;  but  it 
was  supposed,  by  spectators  who  saw  the  whole 
action,  that  there  could  not  be  less  than  four  or 
five  hundred  killed.  Mr.  Gardner,  who  got  out 
of  Boston  on  Sunday  evening,  says  that  there 
were  five  hundred  wounded  men  brought  into 
that  place  the  morning  before  he  came  out." 

"  This  account  was  taken  from  Captain  Elijah 
Hide,  of  Lebanon,  who  was  a  spectator  on  Winter 
Hill,  during  the  whole  action." 


"  Colonel  John  Stark  to  New  Hampshire  Congress. 

"  Medford,  June  19,  1775. 

"  Sir  :  I  embrace  this  opportunity,  by  Colonel 

Holland,  to  give  you  some  particular  information 

of  an  engagement  or  battle,  which  happened  on 

the  seventeenth  instaiit,  between  the  British  troops 

13 


146  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

and  the  Americans.  On  the  sixteenth  instant,  at 
evening,  a  detachment  of  about  twenty-five  hun- 
dred men,  of  the  Massachusetts  forces,  marched, 
by  the  General's  order,  to  make  an  intrenchment 
on  a  hill  in  Charlestown,  called  Charlestown  Hill, 
near  Boston,  where  they  intrenched  that  night 
without  interruption,  but  were  attacked  on  the 
seventeenth,  in  the  morning,  by  the  shipping  in 
Charlestown  river  and  batteries  in  Boston,  very 
warmly.  Upon  which  I  was  required  by  the 
General  to  send  a  party,  consisting  of  two  hun- 
dred men,  with  officers,  to  their  assistance;  which 
order  I  readily  obeyed,  and  appointed  and  sent 
Colonel  Wyman  commander  of  the  same ;  and 
about  two  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  express  orders 
came  for  the  whole  of  my  regiment  to  proceed  to 
Charlestown,  to  oppose  the  enemy,  who  were 
landing  on  Charlestown  Point.  Accordingly, 
we  proceeded,  and  the  battle  soon  came  on,  in 
which  a  number  of  officers  belonging  to  my  regi- 
ment were  killed,  and  many  privates  killed  and 
wounded. 

"  The  officers  who  suffered  were.  Major  McCla 
ry,  by  a  cannon  ball ;  Captain  Baldwin  and  Lieu 
tenant  Scott,  by  small  arms.  The  whole  number, 
including  officers,  who  were  killed  and  missing, 
fifteen ;  those  who  were  wounded,  forty-five , 
killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  sixty. 

"  By   Colonel    Read's   desire,   I   transmit   the 
account  of  the  sufferers  in  his  regiment,  who  were 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  147 

in  battle.  Killed,  three  ;  wounded,  twenty-nine ; 
missing,  one :  killed,  wounded,  and  missing,  thirty- 
three. 

"  But  we  remain  in  good  spirits  as  yet,  being 
well  satisfied  that  where  we  have  lost  one,  they 
have  lost  three.  I  would  take  it  as  a  favor,  if 
the  Committee  of  Safety  would  immediately  re- 
commend to  the  several  towns  and  parishes  in  the 
province  of  New  Hampshire,  the  necessity  of  stop- 
ping and  sending  back  all  the  soldiers  belonging 
to  the  New  Hampshire  forces,  (stationed  at  Med- 
ford,)  they  may  find  there  from  the  army,  not 
having  a  furlough  from  the  commanding  officer. 
"  I  am.  Sir,  with  great  respect, 

yours  and  the  country's,  to 

serve  in  the  common  cause, 

"John  Stark." 


"  Thaddeus  Burr  to  General  Wooster. 

"  Fairfield,  June  25,  1775 ;  12  o'clock. 

"  Sir  :  Captain  Jonathan  Maltbie,  who  went 
express  from  here  last  Sabbath,  has  this  day 
returned  from  Watertown,  which  place  he  left 
last  Thursday  at  four  o'clock,  afternoon,  and  the 
intelligence  brought  by  him  being  so  direct,  I 
thought  it  my  duty  to  forward  it  to  you,  which  is 
as  follows,  viz. : 


148  BATTLE    OF    BUMKER    HILL. 

"  Copy  of  a  letter  from  Mr,  Isaac  Lothrop,  one  of 
the  Provincial  Congress,  at  Watertown. 

Watertown,  June  22,  1775. 
"  Before  this  reaches  you,  you  will  doubtless 
hear  of  the  engagement  of  last  Saturday,  between 
our  troops  and  those  of  the  army  at  Boston ;  but 
lest  you  should  not  be  well  informed,  I  will  now 
undertake  to  give  you  as  regular  an  account  as 
can  at  present  be  obtained.  Last  Friday  even- 
ing, a  detachment  from  the  camp  at  Cambridge 
marched  to  Charlestown,  and  there  took  posses- 
sion of  Breed's  Hill,  about  half  a  mile  from  the 
ferry ;  their  intrenching  tools  not  coming  up  in 
season,  it  was  twelve  o'clock  before  they  began 
their  works.  As  soon  as  daylight  appeared,  they 
were  discovered  from  Boston,  when  the  men-of- 
war  in  the  ferry,  the  battery  from  Copp's  Hill, 
and  the  floating  batteries,  kept  up  a  continual 
cannonading  and  bombarding,  which  fortunately 
did  but  little  execution,  although  our  intrench- 
ments  were  far  from  being  completed.  This  con- 
tinued till  about  two  o'clock,  when  a  large  army 
of  between  four  and  five  thousand  men,  (as  we 
since  hear  from  Boston,)  under  the  command  of 
General  Howe,  landed  on  the  back  of  the  hill, 
and  marched  up  with  great  seeming  resolution 
towards  our  lines.  Our  men  reserved  their  fire 
till  the  enemy  had  advanced  very  near,  when  a 
general  engagement  ensued.  The  fire  from  our 
lines  was  so  excessively  heavy,  and  made  such  a 


BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL.  149 

terrible  slaughter,  as  obliged  the  enemy  twice  to 
give  way,  although  many  of  their  officers  stood 
in  the  rear  with  their  swords  pointed  at  their 
backs,  ready  to  ]"un  them  through.  Our  men 
kept  up  a  continual  blaze  upon  them  for  about  an 
hour,  with  such  execution  as  is  scarce  credible. 
The  enemy  then  came  on  the  flanks,  marched  up, 
and  forced  their  way  over  the  ramparts  with  fixed 
bayonets,  cutlasses,  and  hand-grenades,  which 
obliged  our  little  brave  army,  consisting  only  of 
about  five  hundred  men  at  most,  to  retreat. 

"  The  town  of  Charlestown  was  fired  in  various 
parts  during  the  action,  and  is  now  consumed  to  a 
wretched  heap  of  rubbish.  I  kept  my  ground  at 
Watertown,  but  what  with  the  thundering  of  can- 
non and  small  arms,  the  conflagration  of  Charles- 
town,  the  waggons  and  horse-litters,  with  the 
wounded  men  coming  to  the  hospital  in  this  town, 
and  the  streaming  of  expresses  to  and  fro,  exhib- 
ited such  an  awful  scene  as  I  pray  God  Almighty 
I  may  never  again  behold.  The  brave  and 
worthy  Doctor  Warren  was  killed,  stripped,  and 
buried,  within  the  intrenchment. 

"  Our  numbers  killed  are  not  yet  known ;  but 
by  the  best  account  I  can  obtain,  it  will  not  much 
exceed  fifty,  and  the  wounded  short  of  a  hundred. 
Several  credible  persons  have  since  made  their 
escape  by  water  from  Boston,  some  of  whom  I 
well  know.  The  latest  out  says,  that  upwards  of 
fourteen  hundred  of  the  enemy  were  killed  and 
13* 


150  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

wounded,  with  eighty-four  officers ;  and  that 
twenty-eight  of  our  rnen  were  made  prisoners, 
and  the  enemy  had  buried  forty-one  of  our  dead. 
All  agree  that  the  loss  of  the  enemy  in  killed  and 
wounded  is  more  than  one  thousand.  General 
Howe  says,  you  may  talk  of  your  Mindens  and 
your  Fontenoys,  &c.,  but  he  never  saw  nor  heard 
of  such  carnage  in  so  short  a  time.  All  the  sur- 
geons in  the  army,  with  what  they  could  get  in 
Boston,  were  not  sufficient  to  dress  the  wounded. 
Although  they  were  twenty-four  hours,  night  and 
day,  in  removing  them  from  Charlestown,  with 
the  assistance  of  many  of  the  inhabitants  of  Bos- 
ton, whom  they  pressed  into  the  service,  many 
died  in  the  streets,  on  their  way  to  the  hospitals. 

"  N.  B.  Doctor  Mather  had  his  whole  furni- 
ture, with  his  library,  plate,  &c.,  consumed  in  the 
fire  at  Charlestown. 

"  I  have  employed  Mr.  Samuel  Penfield  to  go 
with  this ;  if  you  think  it  proper  to  forward  this  ac- 
count to  New  York,  he  will  be  ready  to  serve  you. 

"  You  will  excuse  my  sending  it  open,  as  I 
think  it  best  for  every  one  to  know  with  what 
bravery  our  men  have  acted,  and  how  God  in  his 
providence  seems  to  appear  for  us. 

"  Mr.  Penfield  will  also  hand  you  a  paper  from 
Cambridge,  which  contains  some  particulars. 
"  I  am,  in  the  utmost  haste,  Sir, 

your  friend  and  humble  servant, 

"  Thaddeus  Burr. 

"  To  General  Wooster,  at  Greenwich." 


BATTLE    0?    BUNKER    HILL.  151 

Letter  from  Rev.   Andrew  Eliot,   Pastor  of  the 

New  North  Church  in   Boston,  to  Rev.  Isaac 

Smith,  of  Boston,  then  in  London. 

"  Boston,  June,  19,  1775. 

"  My  DEAR  Sir  :  According  to  your  desire,  I 
write  without  ceremony,  to  acquaint  you  with  the 
state  of  things  in  Boston.  You  left  us  shut  up, 
and  the  people  removing  from  the  place  as  fast  as 
they  were  permitted.  I  am  told  that  more  than 
7ime  thousand  are  removed ;  many  more  were  pre- 
paring to  follow,  hut  passes  have  been  stopped  for 
some  time.  So  that  thousands  are  detained  who 
desire  to  go,  among  whom  I  am  one.  I  tarried 
purely  out  of  regard  to  the  inhabitants  who  were 
left,  that  they  might  not  be  without  ordinances 
and  worship  in  the  way  which  they  choose.  It  is 
now,  perhaps,  too  late  to  think  of  removing,  as  all 
communication  is  at  present  stopped. 

"  The  last  Saturday  gave  us  a  dreadful  speci- 
men of  the  horrors  of  civil  war.  Early  on  Sat- 
urday morning,  we  were  alarmed  by  the  firing  of 
cannon  from  the  fort  which  is  erected  on  Copp's 
Hill,  and  from  the  ships  which  lie  in  Charles 
river.  Upon  inquiry  it  was  found  that  the  pro- 
vincials had  been  forming  lines  on  a  hill  below 
the  hill  in  Charlestown,  commonly  called  Bun- 
ker's Hill.  This  intrenchment  was  calculated  ex- 
tremely well  to  annoy  Boston,  and  the  ships  in 
the  harbor.  About  one  o'clock  a  large  body  of 
British  troops  set  off  from  Boston  to  attack  these 


152  BATTLE    OF    BUNKER    HILL. 

lines.  About  three  o'clock  the  engagement  began, 
and  lasted  perhaps  an  hour.  Great  part  of  the  time 
the  firing  seemed  incessant.  It  seems  the  troops 
stormed  the  lines,  and,  after  a  warm  opposition, 
carried  them.  Perhaps  there  has  seldom  been  a 
more  desperate  action.  As  the  provincials  were 
up  to  the  chin  intrenched,  they  made  a  great 
slaughter  of  the  King's  troops  before  they  (the 
provincials)  retreated.  How  many  were  killed  on 
each  side,  it  is  impossible  for  me  to  say.  It  is 
generally  agreed  that  80  or  90  officers  were  killed 
or  wounded  on  the  side  of  the  regulars.  It  was 
a  new  and  awful  spectacle  to  us  to  have  men  car- 
ried through  the  streets  groaning,  bleeding,  and 
dying.  Some  of  the  best  officers  are  taken  off, 
and  some  hundreds  of  th-^  privates.  The  attack 
was  commenced  by  General  Howe.  How  the 
provincials  have  suffered,  is  not  yet  known ;  nor, 
indeed,  shall  I  pretend  to  give  a  particular  account 
of  this  terrible  scene.  You  must  take  this  from 
the  prints.  Dr.  Warren  is  among  the  slain.  It 
is  said  he  had  the  chief  direction  of  the  defence ; 
if  this  is  true,  it  seems  to  me  he  was  out  of  his  line. 

"  Since  this  action  the  King's  troops  have 
taken  possession  of  Bunker's  Hill,  and  fortified  it 
strongly.  On  the  other  side,  the  provincials  are 
intrenching  themselves  on  the  hill  back  of  the 
road  in  Charlestown,  just  beyond  the  two  mile 
stone. 

"  Amidst  the  carnage  of  Saturday,  the  town  of 


BATTLE    OF    BUJNKER    HILL.  153 

Charlestown  was  set  on  fire,  and  I  suppose  every 
dwelling-house  and  every  public  building  is  con- 
sumed, till  you  have  passed  the  passage  to  the 
mills,  and  are  come  to  the  houses  where  Woods, 
the  baker,  dwelt.  You  may  easily  judge  what 
distress  we  were  in  to  see  and  hear  Englishmen 
destroying  one  another,  and  a  town  with  which 
we  have  been  so  intimately  connected,  all  in  flames. 
We  are  left  in  anxious  expectation  of  the  event. 
God  grant  the  blood  already  spilt  may  suffice, — 
but  this  we  cannot  reasonably  expect.  May  we 
be  prepared  for  every  event. 

"  It  is  talked  that  a  further  attack  will  be  made 
on  the  provincials,  but  I  cannot  pretend  to  guess 
what  will  be  the  motion  on  either  side,  though 
every  one  I  meet  seems  to  be  as  able  to  tell  as  if 
they  were  admitted  into  the  Council  of  War. 

.AT,  4f,  .Af,  ^  ^ 

T|lf  -tP  ^  -irf-  vf- 

"  I  forgot  to  mention  that  a  few  days  before  the 
action,  the  Governor  issued  a  proclamation,  ofTer- 
ing  pardon  to  all  that  would  lay  down  their  arms 
except  Samuel  Adams  and  John  Hancock,  and  at 
the  same  time  putting  us  under  martial  law.  It 
would  be  a  great  comfort  to  me  if  I  could  leave 
the  town,  but  I  submit  to  what  God  is  pleased  to 
order. 

^r,  ^  ^  Ai^  .AA. 

"TV-  "Tv-  Tt-  -TV-  -TV" 

"  I  write  in  great  haste  and  perturbation  of 
mind.  You  will,  therefore,  excuse  every  impro- 
priety, and  will  not  wonder  I  do  not  write  more 


154  BATTLE    OF    BDNKER    HILL. 

in  this  very  critical  day.  But  however  Provi- 
dence may  dispose  of  me,  that  you  may  enjoy 
every  blessing  you  can  yourself  desire,  is  the  ear- 
nest prayer  of  your  sincere  friend  and  humble 
servant,  Andrew  Eliot. 

"  P.  S.  June  22. — Things  have  been  pretty 
quiet  since  the  above.  We  have  no  communica- 
tion with  those  on  the  other  side  of  the  water,  but 
can  perceive  they  are  fortifying  at  Chelsea,  Mai- 
den, Winter  Hill,  the  hills  in  Roxbury,  Dorchester, 
and  where  not?  Every  inch  of  ground  will  be 
disputed.  Can  no  way  be  found  to  accommodate 
these  unhappy  dilTerences  ?  The  God  of  heaven 
preserve  us ! — it  is  an  inexhaustible  source  of 
comfort  that  the  government  of  the  world  is  just 
where  it  is.  A.  E." 


THE  MONUMENT  UPON  BREED'S  HILL. 


The  imposing  structure  which  now  rises  upon 
the  Heights  of  Charlestown,  marks  the  summit 
where  the  small  redoubt  Avas  thrown  up  by  the 
American  patriots,  on  the  night  of  the  16th  of 
June,  1775.  The  battle  has  so  long  been  associ- 
ated with  the  name  of  Bunker's  Hill,  that  it  seems 
now  almost  vain  to  attempt  to  make  the  correction, 
which,  indeed,  some  may  think  wholly  unimpor- 
tant. The  probability  is  that  Breed's  Hill  was 
considered  generally  as  only  a  spur  of  Bunker's 
Hill,  and  was  not  distinguished  by  name,  except 
among  the  residents  in  Charlestown  and  those 
familiar  with  the  localities  of  the  spot.  There 
are  charts  and  views  of  the  town,  taken  before 
and  after  the  battle,  in  which  the  lesser  summit 
appears  without  any  designation.  As  soon  as  the 
spot  became  famous,  this  confusion  of  the  names 
began  to  be  manifest ;  and  the  fact  is  worthy  of 
notice  only  as  it  presents  an  instance  that  ena- 


156         BUNKER  HILL  MONUMENT. 

bles  us  to  account  for  the  disputes  which,  in  the 
absence  of  historic  documents,  have  been  attached 
to  other  famous  spots  on  the  surface  of  the  earth. 
To  perpetuate  the  memory  of  such  localities,  and 
to  secure  them  against  the  dubious  haze  with 
which  the  lapse  of  time  invests  them,  is  perhaps 
the  best  argument  which  can  be  adduced  for  the 
erection  of  costly  monuments.  Still,  there  will 
be,  as  there  now  is,  a  great  difference  of  opinion 
as  to  the  expediency  of  such  structures.  The  open 
battle  field,  undisturbed  and  unaltered  through 
all  time,  would  be  for  many  far  preferable  to  any 
monument. 

Previous  to  the  erection  of  the  granite  monu- 
ment on  Breed's  Hill,  the  summit  was  distin- 
guished by  a  small  column  in  honor  of  Major 
General  Warren,  who  was  regarded  as  the  most 
eminent  and  deserving  of  the  martyrs  of  liberty 
that  fell  there.  His  body  was  identified,  on  the 
morning  after  the  battle,  by  Doctor  Jeffries,  of 
Boston,  an  intimate  acquaintance  of  the  patriot. 
The  British  regarded  this  victim  as  paying  the 
price  of  the  multitude  of  their  own  slain,  and  the 
spot  where  they  interred  him  was  marked.  After 
the  evacuation  of  Boston,  by  the  British  troops, 
and  the  return  of  its  citizens  to  their  homes,  the 
friends  of  Warren  disinterred  his  remains.  They 
were .  taken  from  the  hill,  and  on  the  eighth  of 
April,  1776,  being  carried  in  procession  from  the 
Representatives'  Chamber  to  King's  Chapel,  were 


BUNKER    HILL    MONUMENT.  157 

buried  with  all  military  honors  and  those  of  Ma- 
sonry. Prayers  were  offered  on  the  occasion,  by 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Cooper,  and  a  funeral  oration  was 
delivered  by  Mr.  Perez  Morton,  in  which  he 
boldly  and  earnestly  urged  an  entire  separation 
from  Great  Britain,  as  the  right  and  duty  of  the 
colonists.  The  remains  of  General  Warren  now 
rest  within  the  cemetery  beneath  St.  Paul's 
church. 

At  the  time  of  his  death,  Warren  was  Grand 
Master  of  Freemasons,  for  North  America  ;  and 
as  such,  it  seemed  to  the  members  of  his  order 
that  they  owed  to  him  some  tribute  of  respectful 
regard.  No  monument  had  been  erected  on  the 
spot  where  he  fell  in  behalf  of  his  country,  and 
measures  were  therefore  instituted  for  this  double 
purpose. 

A  lodge  of  Freemasons  was  constituted  in 
Charlestown,  in  1783,  and  from  its  funds  a  mon- 
umental column  was  erected  to  the  memory  of 
Warren,  in  1794,  on  land  given  by  the  Hon. 
James  Russell.  It  was  composed  of  a  brick  pe- 
destal eight  feet  square,  rising  ten  feet  from  the 
ground,  and  supporting  a  Tuscan  pillar,  of  wood, 
eighteen  feet  high.  This  was  surmounted  by  a 
gilt  urn,  bearing  the  inscription — "  J.  W.,  aged 
35,"  entwined  with  Masonic  emblems.  On  the 
south  side  of  the  pedestal  was  the  following 
inscription  : 

14 


158         BUNKER  HILL  MONUMENT. 

"  Erected  A.  D.  MDCCXCIV., 

By  King  Solomon's  Lodge  of  Free  Masons, 
constituted  in  Charlestown,  1783, 

In  Memory  of 

Major  General  Joseph  Warren, 

and  his  Associates, 

who  were  slain  on  this  memorable  spot,  June  17, 

1775. 

None  but  they  who  set  a  just  value  upon  the 

blessings  of  liberty  are  worthy  to  enjoy  her.     In 

vain  we  toiled;  in   vain   we  fought;  we  bled   in 

vain;  if  you,   our  offspring,  want   valor  to  repel 

the  assaults  of  her  invaders. 

Charlestown  settled.  1628. 
Burnt,    1775.       Rebuilt,    1776." 

This  column  stood  without  the  redoubt,  and  on 
the  spot  where  Warren  was  believed  to  have  fallen. 
It  remained  for  forty  years,  and  was  so  much 
defaced  by  time  that  it  was  removed  when  the 
present  granite  structure  was  contemplated.  The 
remembrance  of  it  will  be  cherished  by  those 
who  were  familiar  with  it  from  a  distance,  or  near 
at  hand. 

The  erection  of  a  substantial  monument  on  this 
summit  had  long  been  desired  and  contemplated. 
It  was  thought  to  be  due  as  a  tribute  of  respect 
to  the  patriots  who,  in  an  early  day  of  the  Revolu- 
tion, risked  all  that  was  dear  to  them  as  individu- 
als, on  a  fearful   hazard,  for   the    good    of  their 


BUNKER    HILL    MONUMENT.  159 

common  country.  We  must  suppose  and  believe 
that  in  the  awful  strife,  amid  the  shrieks  and 
groans  of  battle,  and  in  sight  of  the  homes  which 
these  patriots  loved,  some  better  feeling  than 
that  of  brute  courage,  or  thirst  for  blood,  an- 
imated them.  How  much  of  their  fortitude 
they  borrowed  from  the  conviction  that  their 
country  would  honor  their  memory,  and  that  their 
children  would  mark  the  spot  where  they  suffered, 
we  may  only  imagine.  The  objection  which 
many  conscientious  persons  feel  to  such  a  com- 
memoration, seems  to  be  founded  on  the  belief  that 
a  battle  monument  is  designed  to  perpetuate  the 
feelings  of  animosity  and  strife  between  the  de- 
scendants of  the  contending  parties.  But  this  is 
an  error  ;  and  the  disapprobation  of  monumental 
structures,  founded  upon  such  a  misconception, 
•would  equally  apply  to  all  histories  and  delinea- 
tions of  battles.  We  wish  to  express  our  grateful 
sense  of  the  devotion  and  bravery  of  those  who 
bore  severe  sufferings  to  relieve  us  of  lighter 
burdens.  All  that  we  desire  to  commemorate  by 
the  towering  pile  now  reared  on  the  battle-field, 
is  patriotism  and  self-sacrifice.  We  believe  the 
cause  was  just ;  the  Briton  may  regard  it  oth- 
erwise ;  but  we  may  alike  stand  upon  the  spot 
and  honor  the  heroism  of  its  victims,  without  the 
rising  of  one  vengeful  feeling. 

It  was  the  general  opinion  that  if  any  monu- 
ment were  to  be  erected,  it  should  be  a  substantial 


160  BUNKER    HU>I,    MONUMENT. 

one,  which  should  do  credit  to  its  builders,  and  to 
their  fathers ;  and  instead  of  being  reared  at  the 
expense  of  a  few  wealthy  men,  or  at  public  cost, 
should  be  a  free-will  offering  from  all  the  citizens 
of  this  Commonwealth,  and  of  its  sister  Common- 
wealths, according  to  their  means.  The  result 
has  been  such  as  to  make  it  probable  that  there  is 
not  a  structure  in  this  country  on  which  the  free 
contributions  of  so  many  individuals  have  been 
expended  as  upon  this.  Subscriptions  were  first 
asked  for  in  the  year  1824.  An  Association, 
called  "  The  Bunker  Hill  Monument  Association," 
was  formed,  membership  of  which  was  to  be 
enjoyed  by  those  who  subscribed  five  dollars.  An 
engraved  diploma  was  their  certificate,  and  their 
names  were  inscribed  upon  the  parchment  records 
deposited  within  the  corner-stone. 

Some  incident  or  circumstance  which  should 
connect  an  enthusiastic  feeling  with  the  com- 
mencement of  the  work,  was  felt  to  be  necessary. 
An  occasion  and  opportunity  for  this  presented 
itself  on  the  visit  of  the  Marquis  de  La  Fayette, 
our  honored  General,  to  this  land,  whose  battles 
he  had  fought  with  the  ardor  of  youthful  heroism, 
and  whose  prosperity  was  dear  to  him  to  the  last 
day  of  his  life.  In  the  midst  of  his  triumphant 
progress  through  the  country,  his  services  were  en- 
listed in  this  work.  Though  the  plan  of  the  struc- 
ture had  not  at  this  time  been  decided  upon,  yet  it 
was  thought  most  desirable  that  the  ceremonies 


BUNKER    HILL    MONUMENT.  161 

of  laying  the  corner-stone  should  be  performed 
by  and  in  the  presence  of  the  guest  of  the  nation. 
Accordingly,  on  the  17th  of  June,  1825,  it  being 
the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  battle,  this  desire 
was  gratified.  In  the  midst  of  an  immense  con- 
course of  people,  the  ceremonies  were  performed. 
By  advertisements  and  invitations  previously  in- 
serted in  the  newspapers,  the  veterans  who  sur- 
vived the  day  of  slaughter  were  earnestly  desired, 
free  of  all  charge  to  themselves,  to  come  from 
their  homes,  however  distant,  and  present  them- 
selves, in  one  venerable  group  of  worthies,  to 
receive  the  grateful  offering  of  a  free  people,  on 
the  first  jubilee  of  the  battle.  In  the  multitude 
that  answered  these  invitations  the  number  of 
those  who  were  actually  engaged  in  the  battle 
could  not  be  ascertained,  as  some  were  of  the 
reinforcements,  who  did  not  enter  the  field,  some 
belonged  to  regiments  or  companies  then  at  hand, 
but  not  ordered  for  the  occasion,  and  others  were 
near  or  distant  spectators  of  the  action.  Enough 
there  were  of  the  true  remnant  to  show  their 
scars  and  recount  the  scenes  the  memory  of  which 
the  lapse  of  fifty  years  had  not  dimmed.  The 
younger  survivors  of  the  band  professed  them- 
selves still  ready  for  service,  should  like  occasion 
demand  it ;  nor,  among  those  whose  feeble  limbs 
tottered  under  the  heaviest  burden  of  years,  was 
there  one  whose  chilled  blood  did  not  glow  over 
the  sods  of  the  battle-field,  while  the  starting  tear 
14* 


162  BUNKER    HILL    MONUMENT. 

told  that  they  were  thinking  of  their  companions 
in  arms.  They  were  eloquently  and  touchingly 
addressed  by  the  Hon.  Daniel  Webster,  the  orator 
of  the  occasion.  La  Fayette,  standing  as  one  in 
that  gToup  of  survivors,  and  regretting  that  the 
honor  did  not  of  right  belong  to  him,  laid  with 
his  own  hands  the  corner-stone  of  the  projected 
monument.  Masonic  ceremonies  were  connected 
with  the  occasion. 

We  cannot,  however,  attribute  to  La  Fayette  the 
honor  of  having  laid  the  corner-stone  of  the 
present  structure.  The  office  in  which  he  was 
enlisted  was  a  matter  of  mere  form ;  no  plan 
having  been  selected,  of  course  no  adequate  foun- 
dation was  made.  The  stone  which  had  been 
laid  by  La  Fayette,  was  afterwards  put  into  the 
centre  of  the  foundation ;  and  the  box  of  depos- 
ites  which  it  contained,  was  taken  out  and  en- 
closed in  the  present  corner-stone,  which  is  at  the 
north-eastern  angle  of  the  structure,  looking 
towards  the  point  of  landing  of  the  enemy.  The 
plan  of  the  monument  was  devised  by  Mr.  Solo- 
mon Willard,  of  Boston,  a  distinguished  architect ; 
and  his  original  design,  followed  throughout,  has 
been  brought  to  a  successful  completion. 

The  plan  having  been  decided  upon,  the  work 
was  resumed  about  the  middle  of  March,  1827, 
by  the  excavation  of  a  new  foundation.  A  quarry 
of  sienite  granite,  situated  at  Quincy,  eight  miles 
distant,  had   been  purchased  and  wrought  upon 


BUNKER    HILL    MONUMENT.  163 

during  the  previous  spring.  The  stone  used  for 
the  foundation,  and  for  the  first  forty  feet  of  the 
structure,  was  transported  from  the  quarry  on  a 
railway  to  the  wharf  in  Quincy,  where  it  was  put 
into  flat-bottomed  boats,  towed  by  steam  power  to 
the  wharf  in  Charlestown,  and  then  raised  to  the 
Hill  by  teams  moving  upon  an  inclined  plane. 
The  repeated  transfer  of  the  stones,  necessary  in 
this  mode  of  conveyance,  being  attended  with 
delay,  liability  to  accident,  and  a  defacing  of  the 
blocks,  was  abandoned  after  the  fortieth  foot 
was  laid,  and  the  materials  were  transported  by 
teams,  directly  from  the  quarry  to  the  hill.  Some 
of  the  blocks  present  dark  stains  upon  their  sur- 
faces, caused  by  the  presence  of  iron.  Sometimes, 
in  the  process  of  hewing  and  hammering,  these 
stains  would  disappear,  but  for  a  season  they 
seem  to  grow  brighter  by  exposure  to  the  air,  and 
then  by  process  of  time,  the  influence  of  the 
atmosphere,  the  weather,  and  the  winter  frost, 
they  graduall)'-  fade  away.  Several  of  these 
stains  appear  upon  the  last  half  of  the  structure, 
but  it  is  believed  they  will  slowly  disappear. 
The  application  of  any  chemical  agent  for  their 
removal  would  not  be  advisable  ;  indeed,  some 
persons  think  they  add  to  the  beauty  of  a  granite 
pile,  when  sparingly  distributed  over  it.  No  one 
can  stand  and  look  at  the  structure,  or  scan  it 
with  a  close  observation,  without  being  impressed 
with  the  wonderful  mathematical  accuracy  which 


164  BUNKER    HILL    MONUMENT. 

distinguishes  it.  The  joints  of  the  stones  seem 
to  be  chiselled  with  great  exactness,  as  if  they 
were  worked  with  all  the  ease  with  which  the 
carpenter  shapes  his  wood ;  and  the  diminution 
of  the  obelisk,  a  work  of  extreme  difficulty,  has 
been  faultlessly  executed.  A  slight  failure  or 
error  in  either  of  these  particulars  would  have 
been  a  hideous  deformity,  and  would  have  en- 
dangered the  stability  of  the  structure.  We  rely 
for  its  permanence  upon  its  mathematical  accu- 
racy, as  much  as  upon  the  solidity  of  its  materials. 
The  distinguished  honor  of  having  thus  with 
scientific  precision  begun  and  completed  the  im- 
posing structure,  belongs  to  Mr.  James  Savage, 
of  Boston.  Of  many  great  public  works,  the 
builder  has  been  wholly  forgotten ;  of  others,  the 
credit  has  been  withheld  from  the  mechanical 
geniuses  who  executed  them,  and  has  been  all 
bestowed  upon  those  who  have  drafted  the  plan 
upon  paper.  But  to  execute  such  a  work,  how- 
ever skilfully  it  may  have  been  planned,  demands 
a  rare  union  of  talents.  To  take  in  the  concep- 
tion, to  comprehend  its  details,  to  criticise  its 
excellences  or  defects,  to  suggest  improvements, 
to  invent  facilities,  to  combine  two  or  more  objects, 
and  then  to  watch  each  laborious  process,  guard- 
ing against  accidents  and  mistakes ;  to  do  all  this, 
requires  one  who  is  much  more  than  a  mechanic. 
In  such  a  structure  as  the  monument,  though  it 
is  very  simple,  patience,  care,  skill  and  ingenious 


BUNKER    Hirj.    MONUMENT.  165 

device  were  continually  needed.  Mr.  Savage 
possessed  all  the  requisite  qualifications,  and  his 
name  ought  to  go  down  to  posterity  with  the 
monument.  Those  who  watched  the  rising  of 
the  pile,  could  not  fail  to  observe  his  unwearied 
and  unerring  interest  in  his  work.  He  might 
be  seen  above  or  below,  as  occasion  called  for 
him ;  now  superintending  the  setting  of  a  step ; 
now  suspended  upon  a  plank  at  a  dizzy  eminence 
outside  the  structure  ;  now  testing  the  strength 
of  a  fastening,  or,  with  his  hand  upon  the  bell- 
wire,  sending  notice  to  the  engine  to  rest,  just  as 
a  ponderous  stone,  poised  high  in  air,  was  gently 
weighing  over  the  upper  courses  of  the  obelisk. 
And  to  complete  the  effect  of  his  presence  of 
mind  and  skill,  there  was  no  haste  or  bustle  in 
his  movements,  and  he  was  ready  to  answer  the 
questions  of  every  visitor.  But  one  accident 
occurred  during  the  whole  work.  A  laborer, 
while  engaged  in  laying  the  last  stone  of  the 
twelfth  course,  on  the  south-west  corner,  was 
pushed  off"  and  killed. 

The  whole  structure  was  made  under  the 
superintendence  of  Mr.  Savage,  under  three  dif- 
ferent contracts.  At  first  he  was  engaged  as 
builder  by  Mr.  Willard,  the  architect,  and  fur- 
nished the  materials  and  the  labor.  This  arrange- 
ment continued  during  the  years  1827  and  182S, 
when  the  foundation  and  fourteen  courses  of  the 
superstructure  were  laid.      In  August,  1828,  the 


166  BUNKER    HILL    MONUMENT. 

work  was  suspended  on  account  of  deficiency  of 
funds,  about  $56,000  having  been  expended,  in- 
cluding the  purchase  of  the  right  in  the  quarry 
for  all  the  necessary  materials,  the  gearing  at  the 
wharves  and  on  the  hill,  which  was  complicated 
and  expensive,  but  not  including  the  purchase  of 
the  land. 

In  the  summer  of  1834,  the  work  was  resumed. 
Mr.  Savage,  being  still  employed  by  Mr.  Willard, 
was  obliged,  on  account  of  an  engagement  for 
service  under  the  United  States  government,  to 
commit  the  oversight  of  the  work  to  Mr.  Charles 
Pratt,  though  by  occasional  visits  he  continued 
to  superintend  and  direct  it.  Sixteen  more 
courses  were  laid,  when  the  work  was  again 
closed  for  want  of  funds,  in  1835 ;  about  820,000 
more  having  been  expended.  Depression  in  all 
the  interests  of  trade  and  business,  a  derangement 
in  the  financial  aflfairs  of  the  country,  and  a  gen- 
eral opinion  that  the  large  sums  of  money  already 
collected  had  not  been  judiciously  or  economically 
expended,  will  account  for  the  delay  in  the  com- 
pletion of  the  work.  Probably,  however,  the 
durability  of  the  structure  was  rather  advanced 
than  injured  by  the  pause  of  a  few  years.  Sug- 
gestions were  occasionally  offered  that  the  work 
might  be  brought  to  a  point  at  its  then  existing 
elevation,  but  it  was  thought  better  to  wait  in  hope, 
under  the  conviction  that  it  would  one  day  be 
completed  according  to  the  original  plan. 


BUNKER  HILL  MONUMENT.         167 

The  happy  suggestion,  which  was  offered  for 
the  sake  of  meeting  the  pecuniary  want,  and 
which,  as  soon  as  it  was  uttered,  everybody  knew 
would  be  triumphantly  realized,  came  from  the 
weaker  sex,  who  had  no  hand,  though  they  had 
much  heart,  in  the  fighting  which  had  immortal- 
ized the  summit.  It  was  proposed  that  a  public 
Fair  should  be  held  in  the  city  of  Boston,  and 
that  every  female  in  the  United  States  of  America, 
who  desired  the  honor,  should  work  with  her  own 
hands,  and  contribute  with  her  own  means,  to 
furnish  the  Fair,  the  other  sex  being,  of  course, 
allowed  to  contribute  what  they  pleased,  and 
being  expected  to  purchase  with  liberality.  The 
plan  was  most  successful.  A  brilliant  and  daz- 
zling display,  as  well  as  an  exhibition  of  the  re- 
sults of  devoted  industry  and  cunning  ingenuity, 
of  which  we  have,  at  least,  as  much  reason  to  feel 
proud,  as  of  the  battle,  attested  that  the  call  was 
not  made  in  vain.  The  Fair  was  held  in  Boston 
in  September,  1840,  and  its  proceeds,  with  a  few 
munificent  private  donations,  which  should  be 
considered  as  depending  upon  it,  put  within  the 
hands  of  the  Committee  of  the  Bunker  Hill  Asso- 
ciation, a  sum  sufficient  to  complete  the  great 
object.  Mr.  Savage,  by  a  contract  with  the 
Building  Committee,  was  engaged,  in  the  autumn 
of  1840,  to  complete  the  work  for  $43,800.  He 
resumed  his  labor  by  laying  the  first  stone  on  May 
2,  1841,  and  finished  it  with  entire  success,  by 


168  BUNKER    HILL    MONUMENT. 

depositing  the  apex  on  July  23,  1842.  The  kit 
stone  was  raised  at  six  o'clock  in  the  morning  of 
that  day,  with  the  discharge  of  cannon ;  Mr. 
Edward  Carnes,  Jr.,  of  Charlestown,  accompany- 
ing it  in  its  ascent,  and  waving  the  American 
flag  during  the  process. 

The  section  of  the  Monument  which  accompa- 
nies this  description,  will  convey  an  idea  of  the 
mode  of  its  construction.  The  foundation,  lying 
twelve  feet  below  the  base  of  the  structure,  is 
composed  of  six  courses  of  fair  split  stones.  The 
lower  tier  rests  upon  a  bed  of  clay  and  gravel 
which  composes  the  soil  of  the  hill ;  great  pains 
having  been  used  in  loosening  the  earth,  and  in 
puddling  and  ramviing  the  stones.  The  founda- 
tion is  laid  in  lime  mortar ;  the  other  parts  of  the 
structure  with  lime  mortar  mixed  with  cinders  and 
iron  filings,  and  with  Springfield  hydraulic  ce- 
ment. Below  the  base  the  four  faces  of  the  foun- 
dation project  into  a  square  of  fifty  feet,  leaving 
open  angles  at  the  corners,  so  that  these  projec- 
tions act  as  buttresses.  There  are  ninety  courses 
of  stone  in  the  whole  structure,  eighty-four  of 
them  being  above  the  ground,  and  six  of  them 
below.  The  base  is  thirty  feet  square ;  in  a  rise 
of  two  hundred  and  eight  feet,  the  point  where 
the  formation  of  the  apex  begins,  there  is  a  dimi- 
nution of  fourteen  feet,  seven  and  a  half  inches. 
The  net  rise  of  the  stone  from  the  base  to  the 
apex,  is  two  hundred  and  nineteen  feet  and  ten 


BUNKER    HILI,    MONUMENT.  169 

inches,  the  seams  of  mortar  making  the  whole 
elevation  tv/o  hundred  and  twenty-one  feet. 

Perpendicular  dowels,  called  Leiois's  Clamps, 
were  used  to  bind  the  first  four  courses  above  the 
base.  This  was  done  chiefly  as  an  experiment, 
but  being  found  to  be  useless  and  expensive,  the 
method  Avas  abandoned.  The  several  stones 
which  compose  each  course,  are  clamped  together 
by  flat  bars  of  iron,  fourteen  inches  long,  the  ends 
being  turned  at  right  angles  and  sunk  in  the 
granite  five-eighths  of  an  inch. 

There  are  four  faces  of  dressed  stone  in  the 
structure,  besides  the  steps  which  wind  around  the 
cone  within,  viz.,  the  exterior  and  the  interior 
sides  of  the  monument,  and  the  exterior  and  the 
interior  of  the  cone  within  it.  Twelve  stones 
compose  the  exterior,  and  six  large  circling  stones 
the  interior  of  each  course  of  the  shaft ;  to  each 
course  of  the  shaft,  there  are  two  courses  of  the 
cone,  each  being  composed  of  six  stones,  and  four 
steps  answer  to  each  course  of  the  exterior  of  the 
shaft.  Each  of  the  first  seventy-eight  courses  of 
the  exterior  of  the  shaft  is  two  feet  eight  inches 
in  height ;  of  the  next  five  courses,  those  compos- 
ing the  point,  the  height  of  each  is  one  foot  eight 
inches ;  the  cap  or  apex  is  a  single  stone  of  three 
feet  six  inches  in  height. 

The  exterior  diameter  of  the  cone  at  the  base, 
is  ten  feet,  the  interior  diameter,  seven  feet ;  at 
the  top  of  the  cone  the  exterior  diameter  is  six 
15 


170  BUNKER    HILL    MONUMENT. 

feet  three  inches,  the  interior  diameter,  four  feet 
two  inches.  The  cone  is  composed  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty-seven  courses  of  stone,  each  course 
being  one  foot  four  inches  in  height. 

The  elliptical  chamber  at  the  top  is  seventeen 
feet  in  height  and  eleven  feet  in  diameter,  with 
four  windows,  each  two  feet  eight  inches  in 
height,  and  two  feet  two  inches  in  breadth. 

There  are  numerous  apertures  in  the  cone,  and 
eight  in  the  shaft,  besides  the  door  and  the  win- 
dows. The  windows  are  closed  with  iron  shut- 
ters. At  the  door- way,  the  walls  of  the  shaft  are 
six  feet  in  thickness.  There  are  two  hundred 
and  ninety-four  steps  in  the  ascent. 

In  fulfilling  his  third  and  final  contract,  Mr. 
Savage  removed  the  gearing  which  had  previously 
been  used,  and  substituted  a  steam  engine  of  six 
horse  power,  and  an  improved  and  ingenious 
boom  derrick  of  his  own  invention.  Through  two 
apertures  in  the  cone  he  passed  a  strong  beam,  in 
which  the  foot  of  the  derrick  was  inserted,  turn- 
ing on  a  pivot.  This  Avas  raised  with  the  comple- 
tion of  each  four  courses  of  the  exterior.  A 
projecting  arm  attached  to  the  boom  extended  far 
enough  to  clear  the  base  of  the  monument,  and 
was  slightly  inclined  downwards.  The  ropes 
passed  through  shives  at  the  top  of  the  boom,  and 
the  extremity  of  the  lever,  and  when  the  stone 
was  poised  at  its  elevation,  it  was  drawn  in  by 
means  of  a  wheel  carriage  on  the  lever,  which 


BUNKER  HILL  MONUMENT.         171 

was  turned  upon  the  pivot  to  either  side,  and  the 
load  was  deposited.  The  steam  engine  was  di- 
rectly in  the  rear  of  the  monument,  and  the  ropes 
passed  down  through  the  cone,  and  out  at  the 
door -way.  A  bell  wire,  passing  up  by  the  ropes, 
communicated  instantaneously  with  the  engine, 
and  directed  its  motions.  A  platform  staging, 
bound  around  the  monument  by  cogs  adapted  to 
its  gradual  diminution,  and  raised  with  each  two 
courses  of  the  exterior,  served  as  a  standing  place 
for  the  masons  who  pointed  the  work  outside. 

This  apparatus  served  till  it  was  necessary  to 
cover  over  the  chamber  at  the  top,  when,  of 
course,  the  boom  derrick  and  cone  could  be  used 
no  longer.  The  last  work  of  the  derrick  was  to 
draw  up  a  stout  oaken  beam,  which  was  passed 
through  two  of  the  windows,  and  two  masts,  which 
being  rigged  over  the  projections  of  the  beam  and 
lopped  over  the  side  of  the  monument,  the  re- 
maining stones  were  slowly,  but  safely  raised, 
and  then,  the  masts  being  righted  perpendicularly, 
they  were  deposited  in  their  places.  The  steady 
industry  of  the  engine,  and  the  cautious  oversight 
of  Mr.  Savage,  made  these  last  operations  exceed- 
ingly and  intensely  interesting.  It  was  at  first 
proposed,  that  the  raising  and  depositing  of  the 
last  stone  should  be  attended  with  parade,  for- 
mality, and  a  public  celebration.  But  this  was 
Avisely  discountenanced  by  Mr.  Savage,  who  knew 
that  the  caution  and  care  and  presence  of  mind 


172  BUNKER    HU.L    MONUMENT. 

which  were  requisite,  would  be  best  secured  by 
quiet,  and  a  degree  of  privacy.  Accordingly,  the 
last  stone  was  raised,  as  we  have  said,  at  six 
o'clock,  on  the  morning  of  the  23d  of  July,  1842, 
in  presence  of  the  officers  of  the  Bunker  Hill 
Monument  Association,  and  a  few  other  spectators. 

On  the  17th  of  the  previous  June,  before  the 
chamber  at  the  top  had  been  covered  over,  a  can- 
non which  had  been  raised  on  the  preceding 
evening,  sent  forth  its  volleys  in  a  national  salute. 

Those  who  enjoyed  the  view  from  the  unclosed 
chamber,  or  from  the  top  of  the  structure  before 
the  last  stone  was  laid,  seemed  to  feel  a  disappoint- 
ment when  the  view  was  contracted  into  the  range 
of  vision  as  confined  by  the  narrow  windows. 
But  this  feeling  will  not  affect  those  who  look  for 
the  first  time  through  the  windows  over  a  scene 
which  unites  the  sublime  and  the  beautiful,  which 
embraces  ocean,  islands,  mountains,  woods  and 
rivers,  cities  and  villages,  churches  and  school- 
houses,  palaces  and  happy  cottage  homes  of  con- 
tented industry,  free  from  the  sceptre  of  an  earthly 
monarch,  but,  therefore,  all  the  more  bound  in 
allegiance  of  gratitude  and  reverence  to  the  King 
of  kings. 


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